


Where There Is Love

by madness_on_the_milano



Series: The Flora Colossi and the Enhanced Procyonid [6]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Animal Abuse, Child Abandonment, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Love, Mother-Son Relationship, Past Child Abuse, Past Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-05-30 12:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15097151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madness_on_the_milano/pseuds/madness_on_the_milano
Summary: Life throws Rocket a curveball when it transpires that Groot in the pot isn't Groot after all. Instead, he is Groot's son who, for some reason, thinks Rocket is perfect father material.Rocket just isn't so sure that Baby Groot is right about that.





	1. Chapter 1

  
"Don't go in there," Gamora warned lightly, stopping Rocket from entering the cockpit with a hand on his shoulder. "Peter is suffering through a courtesy call from Udonta."

"So what?"

"So I don't think Peter wants an audience." Gamora looked pointedly from Groot to Rocket.

"I promise I won't comment this time."

"Last time you saw him, you asked Obfonteri when Yondu's last dental checkup was and when Yondu asked why you were asking him, you implied that he _regularly_ gave Kraglin a-"

Rocket cut her off with laughter, shaking Groot from side to side. The look on Quill's face had been a joy to behold and he had physically hurt from laughing at the horror that had been on Kraglin's face before Peter had cut the call. "I promise - ah! - Gamora, I promise I'll watch my mouth. I _won't_ be rude. You know I would never dare break a promise to you."

Gamora knew that was true and she stepped aside, giving Groot's head a quick scratch with her finger as she made her way to her cabin.

"Hey, rat."

"Hey, scrote-features."

Yondu cackled. He clearly had no ill will towards their prior conversation. In fact, Rocket could remember him laughing his ass off back then. "Gotta talk to the boy, check he's doin' right. He been a good cap'n to you, rat?"

"Well, he's got a really stupid rule about not leaving explosives lying around, but he's mostly okay."

"Thanks, Rocket." Quill grumbled, giving both of them dark looks.

"Didn't I raise you to know a compliment when you heard one?" Yondu scoffed at Peter and then looked at Rocket. "Kids!"

"Why do you do this to me?"

As Peter and Yondu began their bidiurnal argument, Rocket sat Groot's pot on the seat he usually sat on and looked at his best friend, huffing in boredom. It wasn't that he didn't love these morons, it was just getting kinda stale around the Milano lately. Something whirred in his right eyeball and he opened his eyelid to remove it. When he had been an infant, Gavaar had opted to remove his eyeballs for a short period of time (thank God, he couldn't remember being tied down and blinded) to add machinery and apply a protective coating of some incredibly tough glass. He'd never really known why Gavaar didn't just give him mechanical eyes, but he had just figured that they were too expensive. The coating meant that he was unlikely to be blinded easily and it was porous which meant his eyes could remain moist when he blinked. It also meant that he could perform simple eye surgery on himself when he needed to. Like now, for instance.

Groot made a noise of horrified fascination and craned forward, watching as Rocket fixed the problem by easing out a small kink in the internal wiring at the back of the eyeball. "I am Groot!" _'Cool!'_

Groot had always been so concerned and worried about Rocket's eye surgeries before. Rocket looked at him out of his remaining eye. "You changed your fucking mind, huh? Hey," he grinned and jabbed a thumb in Yondu's direction. "What do you think Quill and Yondu'll say? Let's have a little fun with 'em!" He gave the right eyeball to Groot and hooked out the left. "You can't let these things out of your pot, okay?"

"I am Groot!" _'I won't, Dad!'_

"Huh?" That was weird. But Rocket had more important things to focus on. He found Peter's shirt, blind as he was, and tugged. As the humanoid turned, Rocket said; "Pete, I think the power's down!"

Peter screamed. Kraglin screamed. Yondu swore. And Rocket doubled over in hysterics, the sound of Groot's laughter ringing in his ears. If he'd had his eyes in, he probably would have cried with laughter.

"What the fuck?! What the fuck?!"

The doors opened and Rocket heard Gamora's footsteps. She stopped and Rocket heard her gasp. "What happened?"

"His fuckin' eyeballs done fell out, that's what's happened!" Yondu snapped. "Quill, what the fuck kinda people you got on this ship?"

"It's a joke!" Rocket explained before everyone could get all panicked. "Come on, you idiots... It's funny!"

"That's your question answered there, Captain." Obfonteri said.

"God _fucking dammit,_ Rocket!" Quill yelled. " _Where_ are your eyes? _Why_ would you do this? _What the hell_ goes on in your mind? _What the fuck do I do?"_

The last question was clearly directed at Yondu, for the Ravager captain snorted. "Ain't no business o'mine, boy. This 'un here is your problem. Also, I think your plant is eating those round white rock thing - oh, _hell!"_

"Are those... Oh, shit! _GROOT!"_

Rocket whirled around. "Groot, don't you dare eat my eyeballs!"

He could hear struggling, a scuffing sound and Drax said; "I have your eyeballs!" For some reason, Rocket doubted it was the first time such a sentence had been uttered by the Destroyer.

Then Yondu began his cackling again. Rocket turned and showed his middle finger, only for Gamora to very frostily say; "I _really_ hope you didn't mean to flip me off."

"I'm sorry. I meant to flip off blue balls, here."

"I'll call you back, Yondu." Peter ended the call and Rocket could sense him crouching down before him. "You're a real pain in the butt, Rocket. You scared the fucking shit out of me and that isn't cool. We're discussing this as soon as I've thrown up and your eyesight is restored."

"Why are you mad at me for?" Rocket called as Peter walked off. "At least no one tried to eat _your_ eyeballs, Quill!" He didn't get an answer and held out his hand. "Give me my eyes, Drax."

"No." Gamora said. "Give them to me. I'll help you put them back in. They need to be sterilised."

"I know that, but I can flush my sockets out after I've found my way to that fucking medbay."

"I want to help you." Gamora said, no anger or malice in her tone.

Rocket relented. It wasn't like his fellow cyborg was going to hurt him. "Okay. Drax, hang out with this eyeball eatin' jerk here, will you?" It was difficult to find his way to the medbay, but Gamora guided him without being smothering or, worse, patronising. She helped him sit up on the padded table and he heard the hissing of the sanitiser as it decimated any dangerous microbes on the globes. He let her hold open his eyelid, even though his instincts screamed at him that this was exactly how Gavaar had done those horrible things to his eyes. He stretched out the cable and she plugged in the eyeball, both of them feeding it backward. Luckily, it didn't matter which eyeball went in which socket and he was soon able to see after the first initial few minutes of them booting up. He took note of Gamora. Her arms were crossed, her eyes were narrowed, her brows were lowered and her general expression was one of anger mixed in with disappointment. "What's your problem?"

"Are you _seriously_ asking me this?"

"I don't get why everyone is so freaked out for! A Flora Colossus just tried to _eat_ my _fucking eyeballs_ , but you don't see me gettin' pissed about it!"

"Unbelievable." Gamora muttered.

"I know! He's never done this before. I can't think what's gotten into him."

"I meant _you're_ unbelievable! How could you do that to us?"

"I took out my own eyes, I didn't touch yours!"

"Rocket, I wish you'd realise that scaring the life out of people who love you isn't funny."

"Didn't you hear Obfonteri screaming like a little girl?"

"Still not funny!"

"Why is this such a bad thing? It was the funniest frickin' thing I've ever seen!" Rocket started snickering. "Y'know, in a matter of speaking."

Gamora leant against the table, looking down at him with serious eyes. "I don't believe you did that just because it was funny. Your sense of humour can't possibly be so monstrous!"

He could feel his ears pin back defensively. "You try being six months of age, watching someone giggle as he plays with your severed limbs without developing a fucked up sense of humour. Oh, wait, I forgot. You were lucky enough to have pain relief and they always knocked you out first didn't they? _Some_ of us didn't have that privilege!"

"Rocket..."

She hadn't meant it. He could see it in her face. "We have different experiences with our enhancements, Gamora. Maybe it was a little fucked up, but you know what? I'm stuck with what I got, so I might as well get some amusement out of 'em."

"I didn't intend to say monstrous. I'm sorry." Gamora loosened her arms from where they were wrapped around her body. "Alright. Yes, we have different experiences, but we still have the same things."

Her experience was being made into a weapon for Thanos. Hers was really no better than his. He sighed, tried to calm himself down for her sake. "It's okay."

Gamora nodded and stepped away from the table. "You still frightened us."

"You must have known I have cybernetics pretty much everywhere."

"Not in your _eyes._ Please, try and understand how we felt."

"I'm making no promises." Rocket warned and he jumped down from the table. "I've got things I'm working on. See you later!"


	2. Chapter 2

Man, he really had to call Lylla. He bet she would have found his eye trick funny. She would.

Lylla. Wires.

_"Normally, red is used to indicate danger. I use red for the safer wires to cut because people do not expect it."_

_"So I should do that?"_

_"You can do whichever you prefer. I am only showing you how to make an explosive."_

Back when Groot had been fully grown and completely himself.

Yeah, he'd been surprised that Groot had found it so damn funny. Guy had laughed harder than Rocket did. Usually he'd be the first one to panic, even though he knew all about Rocket's cybernetics. Maybe dying had mellowed him out.

"Rocket! I wanna come in."

"Why?" Rocket yelled back.

"Why do you think?"

"I don't fucking know, Quill. Kind of why I asked, you semi-Terran dumbass!"

A sigh, so soft that Rocket could barely hear it. "Will you shoot me if I come in?"

"No." Even though Quill was a semi-Terran dumbass, he was still Rocket's favourite semi-Terran dumbass and a friend of his, too. And shooting a friend was _rude._ "Get in here before I change my mind."

Peter didn't seem to be riled up any more as he entered the cabin. He was polite enough to wait for a nod of permission before sitting on the bed and then jumped up with a cry of alarm when he saw the grenade poking out from underneath Rocket's pillow. "What's _that_ doin' there?!"

"It's in case somebody tries to attack me when I'm asleep."

"I don't want it in your bed! What if it went off?"

"It's not gonna just randomly go off, Quill. _I_ made it."

Peter looked at his latest project, curious anticipation in his eyes. "What are you making there?"

"That's a secret." Rocket didn't even know yet what he was making. Sometimes his mind knew what his brain didn't.

"Is it legal?"

"Of course!" Well, he'd kinda stolen the spare seatbelts, but Quill didn't need to know that. "Look, if you're here about the joke with the eyes, I learned my lesson when Groot tried to eat 'em..."

"You scared the shit out of me, Rocket."

 _"You_ were scared? Groot nearly rendered me permanently blind!"

"That wouldn't have happened if you'd kept your eyes where they belonged, inside your damn head!"

"I didn't realise I have to tell him not to eat people's body parts all of a sudden!"

Peter made a strange motion with a hands. "You're deflecting!" he accused. "This isn't about Groot. Why did you think it was so funny to do something like that?"

"You _did_ hear Kraglin scream like his balls had been stepped on, didn't you?"

He was proven right when Peter smirked. But Rocket's dumbass semi-Terran captain refused to be deterred. "You didn't answer my question!" he whined.

"Because it was too damn funny an opportunity to pass up! Come on, Pete, tell me, what did Udonta's face look like?"

"Well..." Peter tilted his head to think and then pulled a face of extreme horrified confusion to Rocket's delight and amusement. "Okay, that look on his face was kinda funny-"

"Told you!"

"But I don't want you messing around with your body like that, man, I mean what if something went really, _badly,_ wrong?"

 _"Something already went really, badly, wrong."_ Rocket thought, thinking of his liver. How long did the thing have left? Four years? Well, at least Groot would have a forest to look after him when he died. _"Should I tell you, Quill?"_ he wondered, moving his eyes from Peter's.

"It's okay," Quill said, mistaking Rocket's uncertainty for regret. "I mean, you won't do it again, right?"

"I promise not to fuck around with my cybernetics again, okay?"

"I'd appreciate that, thank you."

 _"Should I tell you about my sickness now or wait until you discover my corpse in four years' time?"_ he wondered. "Pete, we're friends, right?"

Quill looked at him with eyes full of confusion. "Rocket, you didn't honestly think I was gonna jack in our friendship just because you gave me a heart attack, did you?"

"No!"

"Good, because I'm not. Groot loved you for a damn good reason."

 _"Because for some reason, he thought I was worth his love."_ Rocket kept this thought to himself. Undoubtedly, Quill would start his dumb crap on everyone being worthy of love or some shit. Rocket had heard him say it to Gamora, but she was humanoid, she was _normal_ just like the rest of them. Even _Groot_ was vaguely humanoid. Rocket was just some put-together freak that had been born in a lab to an animal. "Yeah, okay. Come on, get out. I wanna work."

"Are you sure you don't want to rescue Groot from Drax's tales of how engorged his wife made him?"

Now, there was a point. He ran past Peter, yelling at him not to touch a single thing, and snatched up the pot. Groot cooed and if it wasn't for the fact that this was his best fucking friend in the whole universe, he would have found the noise adorable. "Thanks, Drax, see you at dinner!" With that, he sprinted back to his cabin, thankful to find that nothing had been tampered with. "Hey, buddy. Wanna see what I'm making?"

"I am Groot!" _'Yes!'_

"That's the right answer!" Rocket gently set down the pot and held up what he had begun so far. "I'm really not sure what's going on," he admitted. "You remember, when Gavaar had me, I didn't have a lot to work with and when we left, we found that planet where everyone had dumped a load of spare parts from ships?"

Groot didn't say anything, his large brown eyes watching him with, almost, childlike curiosity.

"Of course you remember! You had to drag me away and convince me that there was no way that we could fit an eighty five thousand tonne ship engine onto our sixteen thousand tonne ship!" Rocket began laughing at the memory.

"I am Groot." _'Daddy, I don't remember.'_

There it was again. Dad. Daddy. Rocket frowned. "Why do you keep calling me that? I know I'm the one who waters you and makes sure you have fresh soil and starlight, but you don't have to call me 'Dad'."

"I am Groot!" _'But you are my daddy!'_

"No I'm not! You told me about your dad, you remember? The great leader of Planet X, the Floras who lived there?"

"I am Groot?" _'What's Planet X, Dad?'_

Rocket blinked dumbly at Groot for several moments. What the fuck was going on with him? Sure, a little memory loss was probably to be expected, but this...this was fuckin' weird. "Groot," he said after what seemed like years of silence. "What do you remember before you woke up in your pot for the very first time?" It wasn't that long ago. Groot would remember, he would definitely remember.

As an adult, he would.

"I am Groot." _'Nothing.'_

Rocket shook his head. "No," he whispered. "No, look, you have to remember something, okay? You can't not be...Groot, quit playing around, this isn't funny!" He was kidding. The bastard had to be kidding, because this was not fucking fair. "Groot, please. Please don't say you don't remember anything. You must remember something!"

"I am Groot." _'I remember_ _you, Daddy.'_

Rocket's eyes were burning and it was nothing to do with his prior antics. He felt his chest hitch and stepped away. "No, no, no. Oh, fuck, no." This wasn't Groot. This was his fucking _son._ "I can't. I can't be anyone's dad. I can't."

"I am Groot?" _'Daddy, what's wrong?'_

 _"I'm not your dad!"_ The kid's dad was dead. He was dead, he was still dead, he was not coming back. Rocket took his eyes away from the gold-amber gaze staring into his. "This isn't happening, this can't be happening...You can't exist..."

"I am Groot?" _'What's wrong with me?'_

He didn't sound upset or sad or even mad when he asked that. Just kept watching with wide, dark eyes. Rocket had to get a grip. He _had_ to. When 89P09 had died, leaving him an orphan, Groot had taken it upon himself to watch over him and make sure he was safe _,_ always tried so damn hard to make him happy, no matter what. Groot had given him love when 89P09 hadn't been able to give him any more of hers. He'd never been a dad figure because Rocket had been (only mostly, it had transpired) fully grown when they'd reunited weeks after 89P09's death, but he'd been family that had been sorely needed and much appreciated. Rocket looked at the baby who was now starting to look scared. He reached out, held him close, feeling those delicate little arms wrap around his middle. "Nothing, kid. Nothing's ever wrong with you. I just..." he swallowed. "I thought you were somebody else."

"I am Groot?" _'Who, Daddy?'_

"I'll tell you when you're bigger." Rocket said, intending to mean it. How he was going to look Groot's baby in his eyes and tell him about his dad, he didn't know. He felt like he would never know. "I'm sorry. I didn't...I shouldn't have been mad like that."

"I am Groot." _'You're still my daddy, right?'_

He could feel the kid looking up at him, wanting to see him confirm the fact. Rocket made eye contact, smiled. "I'll always be your daddy. I love you." Even when he'd been hurting and scared, he had never, not even for a second, been able to stop loving this little sapling in his pot.

"I am Groot." _'I love you too, Daddy.'_

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

He'd never really thought of his mother before. 89P09 who had known the dangers of the Aakon, who had tried desperately to keep him safe, even outright attacking the being that had been five times her size. He wondered how she had taken care of him. The tablet from Halfworld had been salvaged from the crash site in Xandar, where he and Groot had landed all those years ago. He'd forgotten all about it, but after Groot had died, he figured he could use the tablet to see his best friend again. He held it in his hands. There was no guarantee the thing would even work, it had been five whole years, but he moved wires, flipped switches and it soon flickered into life. The logo of Halfworld gleamed into view and he felt tremors course through his body at the sight of the hexagonal cage.

It had been five years and he was still freaking out at the sight of the stupid logo. This was a bad idea. What he knew he should do was smash the tablet into pieces and never think or speak of it again. But then he took one look at the sapling snoozing in his pot and forced himself to look through the archives. If he was going to raise Groot, he was going to raise him right. And the only one who could help him was 89P09. Surely, they would have taken notes on her interactions with him. They had to.

89P07, 89P08...God, he'd not been the only one of whatever species he was that had known that fucking place. Eight others before his mother. Twelve others before himself. He had almost forgotten he'd had siblings. He scrolled past 89P09 to look at them. 89P10 had been a female, stillborn. 89P11 had been his brother, stillborn. 89P12, his sister, she had lived for a short time but had died before she could even open her eyes. Then there was him, the only one to survive birth and all the horrible things that had followed. And, last of all, was his little brother, 89P14, who had been stillborn. All those babies she'd lost. No wonder she had wanted to keep him safe so bad. He scrolled back up to 89P09 and looked for the first time in years at his mother. He'd not really read through the bunch of information someone had typed up on 89P09, he'd not wanted to know what it was she had gone through. Now he needed to know. He needed her advice.

**89P09**

  **Gender: Female.**

******Age: Four Years Approx.** ** **

******Aggression Index: Severely High.** ** **

******Stance: Quadrapedal/Bipedal.  
******Pain Threshold: High.******** ** **

************Ability to Speak: Negative.** ** ** ** ** **

************Intelligence: High.** ** ** ** ** **

 

She had been _four years old_ when he had been born. When he'd been four, he had been told that he was facing imminent death and she had been welcoming new life into the galaxy. But he had been free and she had been trapped. He preferred his own fate. Especially now he had a son of his own to raise.

**Week One**

**Subject is increasingly aggressive. Subject is responsive to pain, but in order to keep its pregnancy viable, water is being used to subdue as a temporary substitute to ward off offensive behaviour. Subject enjoys Cotaci berries and these are used to promote calm behaviour. Subject has been mechanically modified to its brain in order to maximise full intelligence. Subject has been drowsy, but is returning to full aggression. Subject keeps trying to force its way out of its cage, despite receiving electrical shocks. Subject has become tired of being subdued with electrical currents. Subject is alive. Subject is no longer carrying five viable subjects; only four remain. Subject is bleeding from genitalia. Subject has been repaired with stitches, but is now carrying only three subjects. Subject has been vomiting. Subject is experiencing hair loss and is no longer interested in food. Subject has been force-fed. Subject grew violent and had to be subdued using electricity. Subject is now carrying only two subjects. Subject is to be fully relinquished to Dr. G. Gavaar. Subject is to remain in isolation until pregnancy reaches its later stages.**

It was a miracle he and 89P12 had survived their mother's pregnancy. It was a miracle their mother had survived her pregnancy.

**Week Two**

**Subject has birthed two viable subjects via emergency procedure, 89P12 (f) and 89P13 (m). Both 89P12 and 89P13 have imprinted onto their owner in order to create a bond that will make them less likely to attack. 89P12 appears to be stronger, larger and of better health. Subject has procured a cut to its teat and cries when its offspring feed, even when they are not close to its injured teat. Subject holds its offspring to its chest and communicates in high-pitched screeches and purrs. Subject has reacted with high aggression after 89P12 ceased to exist. 89P09 attempts to bite and scratch each time 89P13 is taken for modification preparations.**

**Week Three**

**Subject does not realise that 89P13 has been ocularly modified. Subject licks 89P13 continuously, especially after it has been cleansed. Subject is very attached to 89P13, keeping it close to itself at all times. Subject has a habit of carrying 89P13 in its mouth, holding its offspring by its neck or head. Subject grows aggressive whenever Dr. Gavaar enters a room.**

**Week Four**

****Subject has undergone vocal transplant. Subject is sore-throated and coughs regularly, but shows no sign of being able to speak. Continues to speak in its prior language, regardless of how many electrical shocks it receives for its refusal. Subject has become more violent, attempting to bite and scratch upon seeing Dr. Gavaar.** **

****Week Five.** **

****Subject 89P13 has opened its eyes for the first time. Eyes appear to be in working order, but may need future restorations (see 89P13 Week Three). Subject 89P09 appeared to be growing calmer as it was seen showing affection to 89P13, yet returned to its aggressive ways. Behavioural modification will need to be carried out.** **

This wasn't telling him anything he didn't know. He'd known already that his mother hadn't been one for idly taking the shit Gavaar had piled upon her, he'd known about his eyes being taken out when he had been an infant and he'd known that his sister who had been born alive had died shortly after birth. He scrolled past the weeks, until the thirteenth week caught his attention.

**Week Thirteen**

**89P09 is attempting to breastfeed 89P13, despite the fact it has grown teeth. Subject 89P09 drags its offspring to its teats whenever it tries to go to the food bowl. 89P13 has begun showing signs of aggression, hissing at 89P09 for refusing it food. It is not understood why 89P09 refuses to let its offspring leave the teat, yet it is likely that 89P09 lacks capacity to understand that her young is now old enough to feed independently. 89P09 has, however, reached a compromise between itself and its offspring. Subject now chews up a small amount of food and spits it into the bowl for its offspring and, once finished, pulls 89P13 to its teats for milk.**

"Ugh!" Rocket exclaimed in horrified disgust. But then he thought. 89P09 hadn't been stupid. She must have known that she was useful to Gavaar for her ability to keep her infant cheaply fed. She had needed Rocket and he had needed her and she had known that. She had been trying to protect him. Keep him a helpless little baby for just a little longer in an effort to keep them both safe.

**Week Seventeen**

**Subject reacted with aggression upon finding markings and bleeding on 89P13 following its vocal cord surgery. Subject broke out of cage and used impressive strength as it attempted to claw its way through window, holding its offspring by the back of its neck. Subject was subdued via physical attack as it was the only option, Subject to be disposed of within four weeks if no one is interested in purchasing it. Subject to be used for research for its offspring's benefit.**

**Week Eighteen**

**Teats have been removed in order to limit interactions, as 89P13 may be at risk of bonding with its parent. No breastfeeding means that 89P09 will have fewer ways to initiate any inconvenience for its offspring's future.**

_"You bastard,"_ Rocket thought. _"You fucking monster."_ She had been his mother. Of course there had been a bond, between them both, even if he had completely forgotten that he'd ever had one.

**Week Nineteen**

**Subject ceased to exist.**

_Was that seriously fucking it?_ 89P09 had been forced to give the Aakon bastard her only living child and all he had to say, after _killing_ her, was _'subject ceased to exist'?_ And 89P09 was so _animal_ in her maternal ways. She'd given him milk, she'd fought for him, she'd spat out her own food for him to eat even though he knew she would have been starving, but there was none of that stuff Quill or Drax mentioned. No dealing with problems, no routines, no real loving moments. Just survival and trying to ensure her DNA was passed on.  
No, that wasn't fair. She was still his mom. She'd been scared and hurt and more often that not, she'd hurt for him. She had loved him. It was just not what he was looking for. He began scrolling back up, looking hopelessly for anything he might have missed when the words **Visual Files** leapt out at him. There were photos of her. Video. He could actually hear her, see her as she had been in life. All those years and he never even knew.  He didn't want to know. He didn't want to be like this animal who had looked so much like him.

 


	4. Chapter 4

He shut off the tablet and hid it back in his cabin. Groot was still sleeping and Rocket let himself watch. He couldn't believe how fucking tiny he was. How vulnerable. Once upon a time, he had been like that. He needed to make sure he could be the best parent possible for the kid. Problem was that he didn't know how he was ever going to do that.

 Still, he could learn. He picked up Groot's pot and walked him into the kitchen, the little guy still snoring away, unknowing of just how special he was. There was only one person onboard the ship with any experience of parenting and Rocket hoped to God he was in a talking mood. He found Drax in the dining area and placed Groot's pot on one of the chairs, pulling at Drax's pants' leg. When this got no response, he jumped onto the table and shook his wrist impatiently. "Drax!"

Drax stopped chewing on his yaro root and tilted his face downward to look at him. "Are you alright?"

Rocket looked at Groot. Groot, being sound asleep, did not look back. "Um...Let's just say I'm in need of information."

Drax turned in his seat to face him better. "What kind of information?"

Rocket knew, of course that eventually, the other Guardians would realise what was really going on. They were mostly dumb (perhaps not Gamora), but they weren't stupid. He guessed he would have to tell Drax the truth, though it seemed very, very difficult. "Groot didn't come back," he said. Tried to say. It came out in a cracked, dry whisper. "I grew a baby."

Drax's mouth opened as though he wanted to say something. He looked at Groot, swallowing as he moved his eyes from the pot back to Rocket. "You are not alright," he stated. "I'm sorry."

The guy really was sorry too. Did he know what it was like to think that a loved one was alive, only to realise they never had been at all? Yeah, Rocket concluded. Drax probably did know. "I don't need your condolences or your...your pity!" Pity was for the weak. Rocket squared his shoulders. "Tell me how to raise a baby!"

Drax put down his yaro root. "I don't know."

Rocket stared at him. "You love your daughter. How can you not know?"

"Because Kamaria was only an infant when she was killed."

Those words shouldn't have shocked him as much as they did. Ronan hadn't exactly been a decent guy. Of course he would have been dick enough to kill a baby. He sat on the table, letting his legs dangle, glimpsing a look at Drax. He thought of the others, his siblings. No doubt 89P09 would have fought for them too had she been given the chance to do it. "Drax, I didn't-"

"You didn't know, it's alright." Drax picked up his root again. "I'll always cherish her. She existed and that's good enough for me."

"You would have made a great dad."

"Oh, I'm still a father. I simply have no living descendents." Drax finished his yaro root and looked at Groot. "It must have hurt to realise he wasn't the Groot you knew."

"I'm fine."

"Your left ear twitches when you tell an untruth."

"No it doesn't!" Rocket covered the ear in question hastily as it indeed did twitch. "It's the cybernetics!"

Drax gently poked his elbow to make him uncover his ear. "It's twitching again."

"You are such a _dick."_

"I don't understand why people use slang words for penises as an insult. Penises have all kinds of uses."

"Oh my god." Rocket put his head in his hands, shaking it from side-to-side in despair. He didn't know what was worse - discussing his feelings with Drax or discussing dicks with him. Drax brushed his knuckles over his head in a nice, gentle motion, so Rocket decided to give him his attention once again.

Drax hesitated again and then began speaking. "I was blamed for Kamaria's death. My mother disowned me, saying that a son of hers should have protected his daughter better. I was alone after my family were slaughtered. You are not alone in this. You have us and I thought you knew that." And, oh fuck, Rocket couldn't stand the damn sad look in his eyes.

"I do. I just... I don't know!" Rocket gestured to the sapling and shifted nervously as he tried to get his thoughts in order. "Like I should be fucking grateful, you know? There's a part of my best friend right here, but...he's not what I wanted."

"That's alright."

"How is that alright? It's a fucking shitty thing to even think!"

"It's alright because you care about that baby. You love him."

"Yeah," Rocket agreed. "I love him. It just feels weird to know that he's not who I thought he was. I don't feel like his dad."

"And that's alright too. It can take time for certain feelings to appear. Mothers, fathers...it _doesn't_ matter. As long as you love him, as long as you care for him, you'll make a fine father for him. Everything else can be learned."

"Who am I going to learn this kind of stuff from?"

"Your own parents."

Rocket thought of 89P09. He shook his head. "No, I'm nothing like my mother."

"Your father, then." Drax suggested and he couldn't possibly have noticed the flashing expression of fear that Rocket was sure had flashed across his eyes. "I have every faith in you." With that, he picked up the waste from the yaro root and headed off to the garbage disposal, leaving Rocket to look at Groot's pot with growing uncertainty.

* * *

 

_Beep. Beep. Gax kept looking at the pager. He pressed buttons, he frowned. Gax wasn't angry, not today even though 89P13 knew he had done mistakes today. He had not even spoke in that scary low voice. 89P13 dropped the spanner. Usually, he get hit for being clumsy. No today. Strange._

_"Gax. Gax!"_

_Gax had very scary eyes that felt like they were always opening him up even when he wasn't on the nasty cold table. They weren't so scary today. "What is it?"_

_"You act funny."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_There was the scary low voice. 89P13 had to be very careful. "Pager goes off a lot. You focus it."_

_"I'm sorry. I didn't realise you needed 100% of my attention at all times. Get back to what you were doing. Now."_

_"Why you act funny?"_

_Gax put the pager on the table. "My mother is ill. Happy now?"_

_"No. That bad."_

_"Yes. It is bad." Gax pointed at the motor. "I didn't say to stop."_

_He knew it was dangerous, but he had more questions. "What is mother?"_

_"A mother is someone who gives birth to you and raises you."_

_89P13 pointed at Gax. "Are you my mother?"_

_Gax, for the first time that day, laughed. A quick, huffing laugh, but still a laugh. Usually he laughed when he was operating, This was not a nicer laugh to hear. "No! Don't be stupid."_

_"Where my mother?"_

_"You don't have one. All you are, all you'll ever be is because of me. I made you."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because one day, you're going to make me very rich." Gax knelt. He looked at the progress made to the motor. His face became a smooth expressionless mask. "Come here."_

_89P13 froze still. He didn't want to. He knew the risk of going anywhere near Gax when he looked so blank. The chance of something bad happening far outweighed the good. "Have to?"_

_"When I tell you to do things, you do have to do them. Now, come here."_

_"Don't want to." But he had to and he edged closer, not daring to look at the yellow-skinned being._

_"Hold out your hand."_

_Instinctively, he held his hands close to his chest, desperate to protect them from whatever Gax wanted to do to them. For as long as he could recall, his hands and feet were very, very good at feeling pain and it hadn't taken Gax long to realise it. "Please."_

_"I've already repeated myself too many times today. You know what will happen if I need to repeat myself now."_

_The alternative was worse. He held out his left hand shakily. He closed his eyes as Gax grabbed the wrist and...placed the spanner back into it. Now 89P13 dared to make eye contact._

_The scary look was back in Gax's eyes. "Finish the repair. It shouldn't take long."_

_89P13 didn't want it to take long. If it took too long, he would be taken back to the table and bad things would happen to him. He started unscrewing and taking apart and replacing the wires, even though the wires sparked and made him jump. It didn't take long and he knew that it didn't because Gax always got a furious look in his eyes when it did. 89P13 set the spanner down and kept his gaze to the floor. "Finished."_

_"That was adequate. You finished with good timing."_

_Maybe now he could go back to his cage where bad things never ever happened. "Home?"_

_"Not yet. You know what happens when you disobey my orders. And you disobeyed me nine times."_

_"Sorry. Won't again." It hadn't been nine.  But Gax never ever admitted to being wrong. "Please. Sorry." Sometimes saying he was sorry lessened what he got._

_"Because you finished in good time, I'll let you pick which of your digits get dislocated."_

_"No! Please, I not mean to disobey. Sorry!"_

_"Ten."_

_Fingers hurt. Toes were worse. He wasn't expected to walk on his hands. He held out one of his arms, putting his free hand over his eyes as the other was held onto, the fingers gently pulled out of their sockets. He whimpered, tried not to struggle because Gax would only say that was disobedience too. "Ahhh!! Fuck!"_

_"Who taught you that word?"_

_"You!"_

_"Well, don't repeat it." The other joints made the same pop-crack and Gax stopped to twist 89P13's arm painfully. "Stop resisting."_

_"Why...why you hurt me?"_

_"It's for your own good." Another snap._

_"I didn't mean to be bad! Please, sorry!"_

_Gax reached for his other arm. "Your verbal communication is coming along well." Snap, snap, snap._

_"Please, please...ow!"  One more to go, just one more and he could go home and nothing would hurt him inside his cage. He'd be safe, not long..._

_CRACK!_

Rocket shivered as he was ejected from his thoughts by Quill's idiotic singing from the shower. It had been years since Gavaar had subjected him to his sick punishments, his warped ideas of mercy. Some things just didn't go away, he mused as he studied his completely whole, undamaged hands. "He wasn't your father." he muttered to himself. "He wasn't nothing to you. Just some sick fuck employed by other sick fucks. Wasn't family."

Not like Groot. Not like the Guardians.

"I am Groot?" _'Dad?'_

There were much more important things to worry about than Gax Gavaar. Like his son. Rocket went to the pot and wrapped his arms around him. "How you doin', buddy?"

"I am Groot!" _'Daddy Star-Munch woke me up!'_

Daddy Star-Munch. Rocket was going to treasure this memory forever. It didn't bother him that Groot thought Drax and Peter were his dads too. Wasn't like they could understand what the kid was saying, which was probably for the best. It could sadden Drax which would suck and Quill would probably freak out which would be kinda funny, but still. They didn't need to know everything. "I know, he's the loudest, craziest bald-body I ever did meet. Wanna hang out in here, go back to sleep? I'll shut him up."

"I am Groot." _'Thanks, Daddy.'_

Maybe Peter didn't need to know every little thing that went on onboard the Milano. But there was something hugely important that Rocket knew he needed to tell both Quill and Gamora.


	5. Chapter 5

 

_Oh, since the day I saw you,_

_I have been waiting for you,_

_You know I will adore you 'til eternity..._

"...Be my, be my baby!" Goddamn if Quill didn't own a pair of lungs. Rocket waited outside the cockpit until the moron quit belting out the lyrics and entered, crossing his arms as he made his way to the chair Peter was lightly spinning with his heel.

He tugged his shirt and Peter looked down. Rocket didn't let go of his shirt. Quill was easily distracted after all. "I got something to tell you."

"Is it good or bad?"

"Both." Good because he had someone who was a part of his best friend. Bad because that best friend was literally never ever coming back and the baby was proof of it.

"Okay. What's going on?"

 _"I'm a fucking dad and I really wish I was the dead one with a kid because Groot would have exactly no problems raising one."_ Dammit. He let go of Peter's shirt and skimmed his eyes around the room. "Groot's dead."

Peter didn't say anything, but he leant forward, waiting for him to continue.

"He didn't come back. The one I got is his kid."  

For some reason, Peter didn't look surprised as Drax had. He rubbed his jaw and rested his elbows on his knees, holding his hands tightly together. "I kinda guessed that he was different. The way he looks at you like you're all that matters in the world. Kids think a lot of their parents, you know?"

 _"Whatever he thinks of me, I'll never live up to it."_ Rocket shrugged, tried to nod. "I know that."

"Are you-"

"Do not ask me if I'm okay. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Dude, you know your left ear-"

"It's the cybernetics, Quill!"

Peter's mouth was making weird shapes. He was trying to stop laughing. "It's mutiny to lie to your captain!"

"What are you gonna do about it, huh? Throw me out the airlock?"

"No, I'll just tell you this; We are your forest."

 _The bastard._ "Don't you _dare_ use that against me!"

"You forgot that, dude."

"I was cybernetically redesigned to not forget stuff. I _remember_ , okay? I just don't want to talk about it. Groot's still dead, there's a baby on the ship and that's all there is to it!" He had plenty more to say on the subject, like how it was his personal choice to keep some things to himself and nobody was ever going to force him into a choiceless existence again, but he could hear Groot calling him. "He needs fresh soil. See you."

* * *

 He needed to feel closer to Groot, he decided. Maybe 89P09 had just been an animal, but there was _something_ to this bonding through physical touch crap. His Groot, the first Groot had been the only ever one to touch him nicely and here Rocket was, missing him like crazy, going nuts over his baby and adhering to a schedule that was never to be changed, even though he hated schedules with a passion. He picked up the pot, newly heavy with water and top-quality soil and sat on the floor with it between his legs, the baby inside peeking up at him with wide brown eyes. "Hey."

Little Groot said nothing. He did, however, seem to understand that Rocket was trying to think up some manner of displaying physical affection because he grew himself, just a couple of millimetres, in order to be able to put his head on Rocket's shoulder, relaxing completely as he was given a careful, tentative hug. He put one hand on Rocket's chest and all Rocket could think of was how tremendously fucked up someone would have to be to hurt an infant child. "I am Groot." 'I love you, Daddy.'

"I love you, too." Even though the kid had tried to eat his eyeballs and was making him relive some particularly bad memories, he could never stop adoring his son. Maybe he hadn't been what he'd wanted once, but now he knew who he was, what he was, the kid was by far the most important thing in Rocket's entire existence. One Rocket had been the most important thing in existence to Groot's father. Now Groot's son was the most important thing in existence to him. "I wish your other daddy was here."

"I am Groot?" _'What other daddy?'_

"I'll tell you when you're bigger."

The door was knocked sharply. Gamora. "Can I come in?"

"Do what you want!"

What Gamora had apparently wanted was to come in and she did. It was quite obvious from the look in her eyes that she knew all about Groot. She took Rocket by surprise when she sat on the bed and pointed at it. "Will you come up here?"

He'd expected her to be trying to take charge, force him into opening up. Instead, she was giving him space, giving him options. He untangled himself from Groot's hold and heaved the pot onto the nightstand where he'd recently began keeping it. He didn't sit very close to her, but within arm's distance so she didn't feel like he was fearful or nervous. Which he wasn't anyway. "I guess you talked to one of them."

"More like Peter interrupted my training."

"That man can be so thoughtless."

"Mmm." Gamora was tugging at a knot that had tangled itself into her hair. It made Rocket flinch to watch, so he grabbed her fingers to make her stop and then began easing the knot out with his fingers. "Thanks."

"If I hadn't been a bounty hunter, I would've made a great hairdresser."

"You would have gotten bored."

Rocket shrugged. The knot split into the fine hairs and he smoothed the tangle-free lock of hair. "Done."

"My mother used to style my hair for me in braids. After Thanos took me..." Gamora's mouth twisted in a grimace. "Once I asked him to do it."

"You did what?" Rocket couldn't believe (well, okay, he could) that Gamora had had the balls to ask the Mad Titan to braid her fucking hair. Maybe it hadn't been bravery. Just childish innocence.

"I asked Thanos if he would style my hair for me. And he did. He created a single braid and then he forced me to shave my entire head of hair. He told me that there are more important things in life than concerns over appearance and that I had to remember that if I was to become a feared assassin."

Rocket couldn't imagine being forced into shaving. He had been shaved, for operation prep, but he'd never been made to do it himself. He looked at Gamora's thick, flowing hair and then at his hands. "He had no right to do that to you."

"No, he didn't." Gamora shook her hair over her shoulders, as though to protect it from grabbing hands. "If I ever become a mother, being anything like him is my worst fear."

"He wasn't your father."

"And Gavaar wasn't yours."

"Why do people keep bringing shit up today? Quill goin' on about forests, you telling me the damned obvious... I know, okay?"

"Then why are you so scared?"

"I'm not scared! Gax Gavaar doesn't scare me." He could _feel_ his traitor of a left ear lurch. He sighed and glared up at Gamora, even though she was blameless. "Gavaar raised me from a baby. There at the beginning, got me to imprint on him, everything. I know that he wasn't my damn father, but he was the closest I had."

"What about Lylla?"

"I keep telling you people, I was kidding when I called her 'Mom'!"

"She was still a parent. She raised her children."

"Yeah, her pups."

"Maybe you can ask her for advice. You aren't ready to share with us yet."

Rocket looked at her, but she wasn't hurt or sad or angry. It was just a fact of life to her. "I like-" no, no. He could never ever keep love a secret again. "I love you people, but in my experience, opening up emotionally leads to getting opened up physically."

"I can empathise with that." Gamora said and Rocket knew that she really did understand. "You think I talk with Peter or Drax like I talk with you?"

"No."

"I don't. They'll never really know what it's like." Gamora ran her fingertips through the black hair growing from her scalp and Rocket saw the look of pained confusion that must have been on her face when she had been a small, innocent girl longing for a piece of her old life.

"Can I try braiding your hair?"

Gamora's head whipped 'round, her eyes full of so much suspicion that Rocket thought she was going to erupt. Then she softened and she managed just a little smile. "I'd like that."

"Maybe you can hold Groot. He likes to be hugged."

Gamora's smile was bright as she turned away to reach for the pot. "I'd love to."


	6. Chapter 6

 

Life as a dad was no different to life in the lab, with the schedules and screaming. At least life was simpler now, with Groot being a baby, his legs not quite ready to work just yet. Rocket dreaded to think what the kid would be like once he started moving. Ah, well, carrying the pot around was a huge pain in the ass anyway.

"I am Groot!" _'Daddy, look!'_ Groot showed a tiny little green stem that was growing on the back of his hand. From the stem grew a bud and the bud became a white, delicate flower.

Rocket couldn't be sure, but he was damn near certain that growing a flower for the first time was an occasion to be celebrated for Flora Colossi. "That's great! You're just like - you're fucking amazing, ain't you?"

"I am Groot?" _'Do you like it, Daddy?'_

"Sure do. Make sure you don't lose it."

Groot let it fall from his hand and put his bloom close to his body. He crossed his little arms and smiled in a self-satisfied manner before looking down and wriggling. "I am Groot?" _'When will I have legs, Dad?'_

* * *

_89P13 had never had such a surgery before. All of his surgeries had been on his head. His back hurt from where the muscles, flesh, cartilage and bone had been cut open. Hot metal had been used to strengthen him, Gax had said, but he didn't feel at all strong. He lifted his head and looked for his creator, catching sight of him by the sink directly ahead. "Gax. Gax, it hurts..."_

_"You told me that during the surgery." Gax was holding something in his hand, cracking it, cutting it. It sounded like bones were being broken and 89P13 could smell molten metal hanging in the air between them. "You need to be quieter. It's distracting,"_

_"Did your creator hurt you like this?"_

_"I didn't have a creator. I had parents."_

_"Thought you had a mother who was alive."_

_"Do you want to walk again on your own legs or should I just solder prosthetics to your bones?"_

_89P13 didn't understand what Gax meant until he stretched out a leg, looking over his shoulder, despite the agony that zipped through his spine. There was a bloodied stump and he felt his heart begin to race. "Where...what did you do to me?"_

_"Your legs need to be elongated. I'm doing it now."_

_"I don't want this. I liked my legs as they were. Gax, don't-"_

_Gax dropped 89P13's leg into the sink where it landed with a light thump. "You need to understand, 89P13. You belong to me. Your body is mine to do whatever I wish whenever I wish. Your consent means nothing. Your refusal will only lead to pain. You should know these things by now."_

_"I want my legs! When am I going to have my legs back, Gax?"_

_"Just be patient."_

* * *

 "When they're ready to grow." Rocket said, because even though Groot _did_ have to be patient, Rocket couldn't say those words without Gavaar haunting him. "I don't know how long it'll take, but they'll come when they're ready to, okay?"

"I am Groot!" _'But I want to dance like Daddy Peter!'_

"I really don't know why, but whatever."

"I am Groot?" _'Will you dance with me, please, Daddy?'_

"I don't know how to dance and it also looks ridiculous."

"I am Groot!" _'Daddy Peter can teach you!'_

"Not a chance in hell, kid. I'd rather throw myself out of the airlock."

Groot shrugged his tiny shoulders and began growing flowers on his arms. At least he was easily pleased. Rocket sat the pot by his latest project and studied it closely. He still didn't know what he was making, just that it needed a hell of a lot of modifications. "I am Groot!" _'Daddy, I want to help!'_

Rocket hesitated. He didn't want to refuse the kid, but he didn't want to turn into Gavaar and hurt the kid for accidentally doing wrong. He wanted, needed to be better than that. But this was his son and knowledge of mechanics was useful. He didn't have to teach him everything, right? "Okay." Start small. Start safe. He didn't know what he was making, so it wasn't like he was going to be quick to make it. "Can you pass me those pliers?"

Groot held out a wrench, shining brown eyes full of pride at his action. "I am Groot!" _'Here you go, Dad!'_

He could use the wrench. It wasn't a big deal. "Thanks. For next time, pliers are pointy, okay? This is a wrench."

"I am Groot?" _'Isn't it good?'_

"No, no. It's fine, I just wasn't expecting it. You did good." And despite even Groot's attempts to help, he was still no closer to actually finishing the damn thing. He scratched behind his ear and looked over at Groot who was watching him with large, curious eyes. "What?"

"I am Groot?" _'What is that, Dad?'_

"I have no fucking idea, but whatever it is, it'll be useful or awesome. I'll get back to it later." Then he remembered the wires and circuitry and went to the pot, looking Groot in the eyes. "Do not ever touch that when I'm not here. You could really hurt yourself and no one wants that."

"I am Groot." _'I won't, Daddy. Can I have water, please? I'm thirsty.'_

"Sure." Rocket went to pick up the pot, but Groot surprised him by growing out vines, attaching them to the wall and sliding his pot over to the door. "Holy shit! Look what you just did!"

"I am Groot?" _'Is it good?'_

"It's better than good. You wanna slide yourself to the kitchen area or do you want me to take you?"

"I am Groot!" _'Sliding is more fun!'_

Rocket opened the door and waited for Groot to join him outside. "How about we race?"

"I am Groot?" _'What does the winner get?'_

"The winner gets to choose a song." It was a tactic Quill used whenever he wanted Rocket to do something, which was nearly frickin' always. Rocket knew very well that he was being played by the man, but the end result was worth it.

* * *

__...Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd_ _

__But someone picked you from the bunch, one glance was all it took_ _

__Now it's much too late for me to take a second look_ _

__Oh, baby, give me one more chance..._ _

Groot won. Rocket didn't understand why he chose that particular song as his favourite, but at least he was enjoying it. He was making funny movements in his pot, waving his entire body around. Rocket realised with a soft sigh that despite all his best intentions, Groot was dancing exactly like Quill, minus the leg movements.

"I am Groot?"  _'Won't you please let me back in your heart?'_

 _"You're already in my heart, even if you are doomed to dance like Quill."_ Rocket thought as he rested his elbows on the rim of the pot to watch Groot. _"But, damn, if I don't miss your daddy. He'd know exactly what to do with you."_ There was no doubt in Rocket's mind that Groot was the more parentally-inclined. It was just the way he had been - kind, forgiving, understanding, good. Rocket was neither of those things. And he loved the baby, he loved his son, but it would be a lie to say that he didn't sometimes wish that it was his Groot he was watching. But that wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to think that. It wasn't only his lingering disappointment. Mostly, it was just so damn unfair that Groot wasn't here to see his son when he would have made such a good dad, yet Rocket was around with no idea how to raise a Flora Colossus. It was some sick joke on the universe's behalf. It had to be.  
But he was here, his son was here and he had to suck it up and deal with it. Above all, he needed to be better than what he had. 


	7. Chapter 7

He had just been fixing up the water filtration system for the ninth time since leaving Xandar when he saw a sight that filled him with more fear and horror than he had ever felt before in his six years of existence. He knew Groot's legs were nowhere near ready for carrying even his tiny body around because he had carefully brushed back soil only the night before to find just roots. So, it was quite understandable that upon witnessing his son shove away the soil himself and trying to heave himself out of the pot, he was flooded with terror and horrible images of what could potentially happen filled his mind within nanoseconds. He could tear the roots beyond repair, he could mirror 89P09's death by falling and cracking open his head, he could die from shock. _Anything_ could happen.

Rocket leapt from where he had been standing and scrambled on all fours as Groot tripped over the pot's rim and then yelped in alarm as he fell. Damn good thing he hadn't left rushing to the kid's aid - the angle he was falling would have killed him. Rocket reached out both hands and caught him before he could hit the floor. Standing, he grabbed down the pot, raked through it for any signs of roots being torn and found nothing. _Thank the fucking stars_. He made a well and deposited Groot back inside it, thankful that something awful hadn't happened. "Why the hell did you do that? You know damn fucking well you can't walk just yet!"

"I am Groot!" _'I'm sorry, Dad!'_

 _"You could have fucking died!_ If I hadn't caught you, you'd be fucking dead right now!" He couldn't lose them both. He couldn't possibly ever lose them both. The thought alone was driving him crazy. "God fucking dammit..."

"I am Groot?" _'Are you angry with me, Daddy?'_

"Of course I'm fucking angry with you!" Of course _that_ was a mistake. He wasn't really angry with his kid. It had just scared the hell out of him that he might just lose the both of them. "You think I keep you in that pot for fun? It's for you, it's for your own fucking good! I'm trying to help you grow strong and healthy and you do _not_ risk yourself like that, you understand?" He forced out the thoughts of Halfworld. Forced out Gavaar. For some reason, these unwelcome thoughts were attacking him.

Groot arched back, his hands going under his eyes. A high-pitched sob escaped his mouth and a huge wide tear drop leaked from each eye. Then both hands covered his eyes, his small shoulders bowed and he started crying into his palms.

Fuck. Oh, fuck. Rocket had no idea what he was meant to do. Consoling his fully grown adult best friend was one thing, but comforting a child he had personally brought to tears was another. "Come on," he said awkwardly. "You're okay-"

"I am Groot!" _'Go 'way!'_

 _"How many times did I scream that at Gavaar?"_ Rocket wondered. And how many times did Gavaar ignore his request in favour of hitting or burning him? "Okay," he said quietly. "If that's what you want, I'll ask one of the others if they're okay to hang out with you."

* * *

_89P13's new legs had taken a lot of getting used to. He was hoping that maybe he'd get a chance to run far away once he'd figured out how to use them, but they were so long and he was finding it difficult to balance properly. He could still stand on all fours, but Gax got so angry when he did. What had once been a slap or a punch had progressed to beatings with the electrical stick Gax kept with him. Once he'd hit across his back so hard that one of the metal nubs had broken off and he'd needed another operation to fix it._

_Once he'd gotten used to his legs, Gax had said his knees needed upgrading so they wouldn't degrade as he grew older. So it was another operation and the result was that he wasn't allowed to move for the next week. At least he was safe in his cage. But he was scared of what would happen next. All that happened to him were painful operations where he could see his internal organs and his bones being taken out, rearranged, cut, molded and soldered back together. He couldn't even cry out in pain any more because Gax had started trapping his mouth shut with something called a muzzle._

_He flinched and shivered as the cage doors slid open from above. Gax reached in, grabbing under his arms. 89P13 struggled, trying to keep as far away as possible, even though he knew that Gax hated it when he moved around. He could see that the door was open and started thinking. He could walk, just about, and he'd always been fine on all fours. Perhaps he could try to leave. Maybe it would work. He coughed, knowing that any chance of infection worried Gax greatly. "I don't feel good, Gax..."_

_"What's wrong with you?" Gax looked concerned and he was right to be. 89P13 didn't share details about his feelings easily._

_"My head hurts and I feel so dizzy. The room is spinning." Head injuries were Gax's worst nightmare. 89P13 couldn't figure out why. When his bones were broken for surgeries, it only took a wave from a wand to semi-heal them again. Surely skull breaks weren't that hard to fix. "I hit it on the bars last night when I woke up."_

_"You really are very uncoordinated." Gax muttered. He closed the cage door and sat 89P13 on the roof, using his finger to tilt up his chin. "How many eyes do I have?"_

_89P13 waited several minutes before saying; "Nine." It was a lie. Gax had two eyes like most species did. "I know you don't, but I can see nine." His left ear had a habit of giving things away._

_"And you're quite sure you hit your head?"_

_"Uh huh."_

_"There will be consequences if I find out you've lied." Gax warned, but there wouldn't be any consequences, so what did he know?  Gax placed him down on the roof of the cage, shutting its door with a click._

_Now was the time. 89P13 grabbed hold of Gax's shoulders and used his creator to propel himself to the open door. He would have made it had the door not slammed violently shut upon his approach. Glancing back at his creator, he could see Gax held his pad in his hands. He had closed the door. He knew._

_"You are a clever one, aren't you?" Gax said calmly. "I see your knees have healed."_

_89P13 panicked. "It was the head injury, Gax. It wasn't my fault, my brain made me do it!"_

_"There never was a head injury, was there? You lied to me."_

_"No. It was a, um..." 89P13 couldn't think of what to call it. It couldn't be a lie, it mustn't be a lie, because if it was, bad things would happen to him._

_"I told you there would be consequences. Here. Now."_

_89P13 couldn't move. He stayed still and then saw a gap between a cupboard and a wall. Well, if he couldn't escape Gax, maybe he could wait out his wrath someplace he couldn't be reached. He darted toward the gap, narrowly missing being caught by the electrical stick._

_"Come out of there now, 89P13!"_

_"No!"_

_"Very well." Gax said and he was quiet. 89P13 dared breathe out. "So be it."_

_The first 89P13 heard was a high whining noise and then he saw a bright ball of blue light coming toward him. He barely had time to register what he had seen when the burning shocking agony took over his entire body. He shrieked and writhed, hitting his head for real against the wall. "No! No, please!" he begged as soon as the electrical stick was taken away._

_"Will you come out now or do I have to take it up to Setting Four?"_

_"Gax, please! I won't lie again, I promise!" The sound was so terrible as it charged up that 89P13 had really no choice in the matter. He bolted from where he had been hidden and was grabbed by the back of his neck, an action which for some reason always rendered him limp. He could see by the look in Gax's eyes that he'd really, really messed up. "Gax...Gax, please don't hurt me. I didn't mean to, I wont do it again! Gax, I'm sorry I lied!"_

_"Don't you understand the danger you caused yourself? How could you have_ known _your knees were healed? You could have crippled yourself by making a jump like that! What if you had landed improperly? You could have killed yourself! You were so expensive to make. You do not do things like that!" He pushed at 89P13's back, sending him sprawling across the floor._

_No. Oh no. 89P13 scrabbled out of the way as the electrical stick swung down. It bounced off the floor unharmed and he was kicked down as he tried to get back up. "Don't! Don't, please! I won't do it again, I won't!"_

_"If you try and resist again, I'll bind you to the operation table."_

_His hands went over his eyes and he had to fight every instinct he had in order to stay where he was. He shrieked again at the first strike. Gax was hitting a lot harder than usual. Blood soon began oozing down his sides and he couldn't stop himself from screaming and scratching lines into the metal of the floor even when Gax told him to. He probably got more for being disobedient, but he barely noticed the strikes, only the pain, eventually growing limp of his own accord.  Hot salty water began sliding from his eyes and down the fur on his cheeks and choking cries started slipping out from deep inside his throat. His legs curled without him wanting them to and he turned on his side, bringing his knees to his chest, even when it really stretched the broken flesh on his back. He buried his face into the crook of his arm and sobbed, not wanting or able to move._

_"89P13, look at me."_

_89P13 shook his head, tightening his arm's hold around his head._

_"Now or I'll punish you again."_

_"Go away."_

_"Have it your way."_

_Bright blue illuminated the dull silver floor and 89P13 shrieked as electricity was ramped into his body. As soon as it was taken away, he rolled onto his side. knowing better than to disobey again. The stick was hit on the floor, shaking droplets of blood off. Wincing, he looked upward, into his creator's hazel eyes._

_"I don't do the surgeries for my own enjoyment, I don't do anything for my own profit. Everything I do is for your own good."_

_"You're going to sell me. You will profit."_

_"Get up."_

_"Gax, I don't want to be a weapon."_

_Gax reached down and took the back of his neck again. The damaged skin flared in protest at this treatment, some even tearing and fresh blood began coursing down his back. He watched with no obvious feeling as the crying returned. "You'll only waste water if you display such a response," he said. "There's no need, 89P13. You're alright."_

_"You're alright" would go on to be the last words 89P13 ever uttered to his creator. Only, by then, he was known by a different name._


	8. Chapter 8

 

"Rocket, please, open this door and let me in!"

"No."

Outside, he could hear Peter sigh and imagined his actions. Right now, he would be leaning his elbow on the wall, the fingertips resting on his brow. His eyes would be closed. He would be trying to think. Didn't matter how much he thought. Fact was that Groot was better off with them than with a father that had made him cry. "Come on, man. We're worried. I just want to see you're alright."

"Fuck off and  _fuck you!"_

Quill did fuck off. But then came Gamora. He told her to fuck off, too, not caring if it made her angry. Drax came after her and stayed awhile after Rocket told him to fuck off. "We love you," he said and then he _did_ fuck off.

"I am Groot?" 'Daddy, are you in here? Can I come in?'

In no universe could Rocket ever tell his son to fuck off. He opened his door a little bit and carefully dragged the pot inside, trying not to bump the child too much. Groot lifted up his arms and burbled hopefully and Rocket uncertainly wrapped his own arms around his son's fragile body and held him very softly. "I never should have said I was angry. I wasn't angry, not with you. It just...It scared me a little. I'm sorry."

"I am Groot!" _'It's okay, Daddy! I love you.'_

"I love you, too." Rocket dropped to one knee and let Groot hold onto his fingers. "Were you scared?"

"I am Groot." _'I didn't like it when you yelled, Daddy.'_

* * *

_It was done. The surgery to his hands to make his thumbs more flexible and the surgery to his hipbones to help them absorb the impacts brought on by jumping. Finally. Gax put his hands underneath his arms and lifted him from the table, keeping one hand under his arm, the other supporting his knees. He hadn't been put to sleep for this one like he had been for the surgeries to his brain. It had frightened and worried him to see the flesh being cut back, the bones sawed and the endless flow of blood. He hadn't hurt, though and that was good. He looked at his hands, so different now and rested his head against his creator's shoulder._

_"The pain relief will wear off shortly."_

_"Did good?" One day he would be able to form longer, better sentences. Gax had said._

_"Surgery went well," which wasn't what 89P13 had really been asking, but it didn't matter. Gax wasn't unhappy and that was what was important. "You seemed concerned when I was operating."_

_"Yes, little bit. No like seeing it, Gax."_

_"You'll have to get used to it. You're going to see worse things than blood and bones when you're grown."_

_"No like seeing mine."_

_Gax rolled his eyes. "Don't be soft. What do you think is inside your body at all times?"_

_89P13 had never really thought of it like that. He still felt strange to think of how his bones had been cracked, some of his blood collected in tiny vials, how he had seen through the layers of his flesh._

_"Come on." Gax took hold of his jaw, supporting him by holding his arm around his back, the hand still under his knees, and made him look into his eyes. "You know everything I do is for you, don't you?"_

_"Still no like it." Gax's eyes turned scary and 89P13 tried again. "For me, yes. Know it."_

* * *

"I didn't mean to do that to you. I never...I never wanted to make you feel scared." It wasn't part of the plan. But he had done it, he had made his son cry. He had scared him.

"I am Groot?" _'Why did you?'_

Rocket looked down, unable to look into his son's eyes. "Because I'm just like my creator."

"I am Groot?" _'What does that mean?'_

"It means that one day I'll..." He couldn't say the words. That one day he would most definitely hurt Groot in some awful way, the way Gavaar had done to him. "It means I can't be your daddy."

"I am Groot?" _'Don't you love me any more?'_

Rocket tore his eyes from the floor and into the confused bright brown eyes of his son. "I'll always love you, no matter what. I just...You would be so much better off with the others. I can't be a dad to you. Good dads don't scare their kids!" Not like Gax had scared him. He picked up the pot, ignoring Groot's protesting cries for him to just listen to him and headed to the kitchen area where he knew the others would be convened. He looked at them. They all looked at him, Groot still insisting that he was more than happy for him to be his daddy. "You've _all_ got daddy issues, but he's better with you. He needs his soil changed every twelve hours, gets watered every two hours and needs six minutes of sunlight every two hours."

"Wait, Rocket-"

"Shut up." He needed to get away, away from all of them and the sight and sound of Groot begging him to continue being his dad. "I'm not father material." He didn't give them a chance to argue as he headed back to the cabin. By the time he'd gotten inside, his heart was pounding and he could feel the blood pumping forcefully through his body and all he could do was sink to the floor, his unnaturally shaped legs unable to support him. He was the same as his creator, just as cruel, just as dangerous. He needed Groot, he needed his best friend who had saved him from despair and proven that however shitty life could be, good people still existed. But he wasn't here. Groot was dead and gone and Rocket could not feasibly raise the baby he'd left behind. His forearm went to his mouth, but he couldn't obey the force that wanted him to bite down because _what if Groot saw?_ He brought his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his knees, the hold as tight as he could make it.

The silence was painful. He needed noise to feel sane. Groot's mumbles, Drax's laughter, Gamora's soft chatter, even Quill's singing - silence was so _wrong_. It was too much like the deathly quiet of the lab during surgeries, intelligence and physical tests, the 'check-ups' in which Gavaar had bound him down and cut open his flesh to see how his bones or internal organs had healed.

_It was too quiet._

He could go out, borrow the Walkman and then hide away again. Peter had never refused it, even though he loved the stupid thing more than anything else onboard their filthy rust-bucket of a ship. But who was to say he wouldn't eventually go on to hurt them in some way too? He could remember what he had done to Gavaar and he'd not even reached his full height and strength back then. He tremored and fell on his side. His closed fists went up to cover his ears and he could hear them, all of them, calling his name.

_Rocket._

_Rocket._

_Rocket._

_Daddy._

Only it wasn't him. Wasn't what he deserved now he knew whose personality he had taken on. He didn't deserve anything other than the code he had been assigned at birth.


	9. Chapter 9

"Still won't come out?"

Peter shook his head, sitting at the table which Groot was using for a perch. "Nope. Isn't even telling me to fuck off any more."

"So why not just go in there?"

Peter stared at Drax. "Rocket sleeps with grenades all around him. You think I'm crazy enough to just go in there?"

"He won't try to blow you up." Gamora told him. She was watering Groot and the sight of him suckling from a pipette was enough to thoroughly warm Peter's heart. "But if he wants space, give it to him."

Peter glanced in the direction of the hallway. "Yeah, I know, it's just what if he hurts himself?"

"If he was, we'd hear it." Drax reminded him. It was clearly not a thought the Destroyer completely disregarded as he too cast his eyes warily down the hallway.

Peter hoped to God that Drax was right. He looked down at the sapling who was staring down at his soil, the miniscule vines and twigs on his body drooping with melancholy. "Hey, Groot. How you holding up?" The baby Flora Colossus shook his head and a tear travelled down his cheek. Clearly, he really wanted his daddy back. Peter was at a loss. On one hand he had an isolated raccoon with a butt-load of trauma, grief and issues and who had once torn off chunks of his own flesh in the heat of the moment. On the other, he had a heartbroken little baby who didn't understand why his daddy had suddenly passed him onto other people. Goddamn. Being a captain was hard frickin' work. He genuinely couldn't remember anything like this happening on the Eclector. Fights happened, pain happened, traumas were rife, but somehow the Ravagers could and would help each other through them.

So why was it so hard for him to help his own family?

He could...no, not a chance in hell. Yondu would never ever let him live it down. But then, the guy had been captain of the Ravagers for over thirty damn years. He ran a ship of guys who would gladly slay entire planets for each other, who gave a fuck about each other, who gave each other a hand when things went to shit. Hell, most of them had helped him out of a tough spot in the past. And this wasn't about his pride. His family were more important. He sighed, looked at Groot and then back at Rocket's door, and got up from his seat. "He'd better love me for this."

"What are you doing?" Drax asked. He was gently wiping away Groot's tears with his index finger.

"Callin' Papa Smurf," Peter muttered even though he knew both Gamora and Drax wouldn't get the reference. He glowered as Yondu appeared, resisting the urge to cross his arms like a sulking teenager. "Hey."

"What in hell do _you_ want?"

Yondu was asking that like he hadn't answered on the first damn ring. What a doofus. "I need advice."

"Not gonna argue with that."

"Listen to me!"

"That would be a mistake, Quill."

Peter sighed and rubbed his jaw. "Yondu, Rocket's isolated himself. We can't get him out of his cabin."

"Huh." Yondu wasn't kidding around any more. He brushed his knuckles underneath his jawbone. "Why?"

"Well, I don't know why." Peter stepped back from the screen and caught sight of Groot. "The other day he scolded Groot for tryin' to get out of his pot too early. It made Groot cry and Rocket shut himself away after that, but he was at least talking to us."

"And now he won't talk to _anybody?"_

Peter nodded, turning back to Yondu. "That's pretty much it. Groot went in there to see him and five minutes later, Rocket came running back out, saying he wasn't father material."

"He ever have a daddy of his own?"

"No," Gamora said forcefully. She stood up from where she had been sitting to give Groot his water and walked to the screen, arms crossed. "He was born in Halfworld." She pressed her lips together as Yondu straightened up where he stood. "You've undoubtedly heard of it."

Something flittered in Yondu's red eyes. "Yeah, I heard of it. All kinds of fucked up people go there to design their war-beasts and hell knows what."

"He was raised there."

"Now, when you say raise-"

"There was a scientist who took on the role of primary caregiver."

"How do you know this?" Peter watched her as she turned her eyes to look at him. "Rocket told you?"

"That doesn't matter, Quill. Look, that place...let's just say it ain't no wonder he's mostly fuckin' crazy."

 "Why?"

"Why? Damn, you've never heard of Halfworld? It's an illegal network of people who torture animals taken from all kinds of worlds, claiming they want to make 'em useful. My opinion, they're a bunch of sadists wanting to hurt things that can't fight back. The things they make don't usually leave the damn planet. Least not alive."

"So, what are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is there ain't a hell of a lot you can do. Unless there's somethin' else runnin' around from that place-"

 _Lylla._ Peter nodded tersely.

"-The only thing you can do is remind him that he's not there, that he isn't gonna get hurt. And don't do anything that might set him off."

"You make that sound easy." Drax remarked, but he seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Peter disconnected the call. "Do you remember her number?"

"Yep."

They had to wait. And wait. And wait. Just as Peter was going to disconnect and try again, the call was answered and the round head of the otter came into view. She looked from him to Gamora to Drax and then eyed Groot with complete amazement. "What is going on here? Whose is that child?"

"Rocket's." Drax answered helpfully.

Lylla looked even more confused. Peter couldn't blame her. "I do not understand. Where is Rocket anyway?"

"We'll explain later. Look, he won't come out of his cabin because he thinks he can't be a good dad to Groot." Gamora said softly. "He won't even communicate with us now."

Lylla was quiet, her eyebrows lowered as she thought. "I would not usually recommend this, but go into his cabin. Go now, do not hang up. I think I know what might be going on."

"Go in? Are you sure about this?"

"He will not blow you up. Go on."

Peter had his doubts, but Lylla was a part of Rocket's past. She knew him better than they did, right? He went to the cabin door and knocked again. He thought he could hear a whimper and at the sound, opened the door. He could see him curled on the floor and thought, hoped, he was asleep. Something made him walk closer and he could see the raccoon's eyes were wide and open as though he was seeing something he couldn't bear to watch. "Rocket?" He reached out a hand, touched his arm and flinched as Rocket curled up even tighter into a ball. "Come on, man. You know I'd never hurt you."

* * *

Didn't Quill understand? The danger wasn't that he would hurt him, the danger was that Rocket was going to hurt him. That was what he was destined to do. He was Gavaar's fuckin' _kid_ after all. His legacy. 

_"Why is it you who's always here?"_

_Gavaar crossed his arms, surveying from where he lay bound to the examination table for a dreaded physical test. "What? Don't you like me?"_

_89P13 shrugged. "When you're not around, I do."_

_Gavaar grabbed a handful of fur from his back, ripping it with an audible tearing sound. "Your behaviour is getting worse."_

_"So is yours." 89P13 hissed. He was really pushing him, but he didn't care. Everything hurt and what kind of life was he living in this lab? Why would life be any better on the outside? Let Gavaar lose his profit. Let it all be in vain._

_Gavaar opened his hand, letting the thin clump of fur drop silently to the floor. "I made you."_

_"So unmake me."_

_Gavaar's mouth made a shape similar to a smile. It didn't look right on his face. "You think if you push me enough, I'll kill you?"_

_"It's no worse than the other shit you've done to me."_

_"Everything that has happened to you has been for your own benefit."_

_"No. You just want to sell me. That's not for my benefit."_

_Gavaar shook his head. He dragged a stool to the table and soon 89P13 was looking into his hazel eyes as his creator sat down. The Aakon watched him through eyes that had never betrayed an ounce of love or compassion and drummed his fingers close to 89P13's ear. "I'm ensuring that you are physically and mentally prepared for the outside world, 89P13. I've put a lot of time and care into raising you and teaching you, helping you to reach your targets. Potential buyers have pooled thousands of units into supplies needed to perfect you _ _."___

_"Care? You don't give a damn about me!"_

_"You're my legacy. I do care. I don't trust anyone to do the operations but me because one slip-" Gavaar thudded his fingers against the thin metal, making 89P13 jump. "-One slip and you're gone."_

_"You're a sadist."_

_"No, I'm trying to raise you to be pleasing to your buyers. I'm not a cruel man, but there are others who might not be so merciful."_

_There were people out there worse than him? 89P13 couldn't believe that. Yet, Gavaar had never lied to him before. He pulled at the restraints eben though he knew he couldn't possibly break free of them. Gavaar seized his hand, forcing their eyes to meet again. "I know you're frustrated, but lashing out at me, expecting me to kill you, is foolish. I would never hurt you. Not for my own enjoyment. Whatever you think I am, I assure you, a sadist isn't it."_

Gavaar had been a sadist. There was no disguising the look of satisfaction on his face when he'd finished whipping the crap out of him or burning him until the smell of sizzling flesh filled the air. And didn't he take after him to an extent? One of the first things he'd ever done to Quill was shoot him. Granted, he'd been worth 40,000 units and both he and Groot had been struggling, but he'd still done that. He'd hurt him. He knew Peter was there, right there, and began dragging himself to the bed.

"Rocket, Rock, wait a second-"

Rocket wasn't planning to wait. What if he did it again? He crawled underneath the bed and curled back up by the wall, where even Quill's long arms couldn't reach him. Now they were all safe. He was not going to hurt them.

* * *

"Rocket! Come on, Rocky, get out here. Nothin' and no one is going to hurt you." When Rocket didn't answer, Peter knelt from where he had been lying on the floor to look under Rocket's bed (it was very tidy and very clean. Peter had had nightmares the last time he looked under his own bed) and unhooked his Walkman. Music was easily one of Rocket's favourite things and if he couldn't help him, he was sure the music could. He pressed play, slid down the headphones and put the Walkman safely on the floor where he could reach it if he needed the tape back for emergency use. "Call us if you want us."

Three sets of eyes trained upon him as he returned. He looked at Groot who was still looking all droopy and sad, and then back at Lylla. "He won't talk to me and now he's hidden under his bed and won't come out."

"Is he in the foetal position?"

"Yeah."

A thin sound like a sigh escaped Lylla's throat. "Damn it."

"He's been like that before," Gamora said. "After Groot died, he became catatonic."

"No, this is different to catatonia." Lylla pulled her robe tighter around her small shoulders. "From what I understand, this is a son of Groot?" She gestured to the baby tree who didn't even perk up at the mention of his name. "And the sound of him crying is what made Rocket isolate himself in the first place?"

"Have you ever seen him like this before?" Peter didn't know if he wanted her to say 'yes' and give advice on what to do or say 'no' because he really couldn't stand to see a member of his family like that.

"No, but I have been through it myself." Lylla grabbed a handful of the soft material of her clothing. "When it first happened, it was after my ship from that place ran out of fuel halfway to Xandar. I thought I would die and I have never felt terror like it before or after. Everything felt so crushing and claustrophobic and all I could do was curl up. I kept remembering...the things they did. All through it, I was self-aware, but I couldn't react to anything. Had the Ravager ship not found me, I do not think I would be alive right now. They helped me."

"How did they help you?"

Lylla scratched the top of her head. "You see, what had triggered me was the helplessness of the situation. There was no way out of it and I was trapped. The Ravagers told me I was safe, described their ship to me, told stories. Eventually it came through and I was able to move again. I was not completely back to normal for a few days, but it helped. What has probably triggered Rocket is the sound of the baby crying because of his own actions."

"He didn't mean to make Groot cry-"

"I know that, but I also know he was born in that place. Raised there. There's a reason that making his own young cry would trigger him, trust me on that."

"So what do we do?"

"I do not know what is going on in his head." Lylla admitted, folding her arms across her chest. "When it was me, I was thinking how hopeless things were, how I was stuck, like I was in that place. If the trigger is his child crying, he may be remembering the one who raised him. He may even fear he is becoming like that."

Gamora's face was masked with consternation. "No, he can't think he's like that..."

"Then you are going to have to tell him that. And make him know it because if he does not, this will happen again and again and again after that." Lylla pointed from the screen at them. "This will be hard work."

"Guess that's why Groot thought we would be good for him."

"Well," Lylla sat back, tilting her head. "He seems to have been right so far."


	10. Chapter 10

They were there with him. He could hear their breathing, smell their scent, feel their trepidation. And they were right to be afraid. He had, after all, mutilated his creator beyond all recognition. Hell, he probably had killed Gavaar. As Groot had always said, it was unlikely the bastard could have survived what Rocket had done to him. But then again, he shouldn't have survived most of his surgeries. But he did. He shuffled further against the wall. Something slid under his hand and he pushed it over the smooth, dark floor where it thudded gently against Gamora's boot.

"What is this?"

It was the tablet from Halfworld and Rocket flinched as Gamora's green hand picked it off from the floor. He didn't know if it would behave for her, but she didn't seem very interested in it, placing it down on the bed and then sitting down, crossing her legs. The other two followed and Rocket could see Groot's lightly-coloured pot. His heart ached. He wanted nothing more than to hold his son again, but didn't trust himself. How could he?

"What's going on, man?"

Rocket shrugged, forgetting that Quill couldn't see him. He wanted to focus on the music, the lyrics softly pouring from the headphones.

_Step by step_

_Heart to heart_

_Left, right, left_

_We all fall down_

 

"A verbal response would be best." Drax said.

"You shouldn't be here, okay? You're not safe." If they were going to play dumb, then he was going to have to play along and tell them what was going on. He couldn't just let something bad happen to them. They were his family, even if being within breathing distance was dangerous for them.

"Why?" Gamora asked.

_It never should have been this way_

_What can I say?_

"Because I'm only going to hurt you in the end. That's what happens with me and family. They die or get mutilated, because of _me!"_ Like 89P09. Like his creator. Like Groot.

"Rocket, whatever happened in the past-"

"No, you don't get it! ou didn't see what I did to the guy who raised me..."

"Whatever happened to that monster, he deserved it."

_Bit by bit_

_Torn apart_

_We never win_

"He...He was..." Rocket hugged his legs close to his body, forcing his knees into his chest. "He was so fuckin' _mean."_

"He was evil. You are not evil."

"I'm turnin' into him, Drax! I remember what happened, I remember how it, how he..."

"You are not going to start beating Groot. You know why? Because that ain't you. It's never you. Not just because you don't want to be anything like that bastard, but because you are not the kind of person to attack people he loves."

 "You have no idea what I can do, Quill! If I lost self-control, I could kill you all with my bare hands!" He had lost control with Gavaar. He had lost it and then regained it at the worst possible moment. Leaving that son of a bitch alive was one of his top three regrets in life. Not telling Groot that he was loved, yelling at his son and letting his creator live. Holy shit, what a screw up he was. "I should've..."

"Should've what?"

Gamora leaned forward, her elbows disappearing as she pushed Drax and Peter lightly. "Out. Both of you out. I want to talk with Rocket alone. Go!"

"But I thought we said-"

"OUT!"

Rocket had to hand it to Gamora. The woman could single-handedly run the whole hundred Ravager factions and their family unit too. He moved even further back, pressing uncomfortably on his spinal cybernetics as he did. "I'm not coming out."

This warning meant nothing to Gamora. She paused the Walkman, lay on her front and used her elbows and knees to crawl next to him. She didn't go too close, but she was well within reaching distance. Rocket glared at her. "I'm trying to keep you assholes safe! Why don't you just go away?"

"He beat you. He killed your mother. Your siblings, he took them too. He forced surgeries on you, mostly while you were awake and conscious. He forced a bond on you, knowing how powerful it would be. And when you had the chance to take revenge, you seized it with both hands."

"I know the damn story, Gamora, I _lived_ the fucking thing!"

"You," she said, surprising him by putting her green fingers over his shoulder. "You are exactly nothing like him."

"I'll _snap._ I'll snap on you, like I did on him, on Groot..."

"The only reason you snapped is because of the atrocities he committed against you." Gamora turned onto her side, facing him. She brought up her legs, her thighs barely touching the tips of his toes. "Because he was the evil one, not you. You were a child who he was responsible for. Who once thought that he did know best."

She knew. She knew so fucking well. He nodded his head.

"Rocket, you will never have a reason to snap. Not with us." She brought her mouth to his ear and whispered; "That's why we don't understand how there's any way you would hurt us. That's why we're not afraid of you. Because we love you and we are not going to hurt you."

His legs marginally extended themselves, the toes brushing against Gamora's leg. "But what about Groot?"

"Rocket, we're always yelling at each other on this ship. You just took him by surprise."

"I told him I was angry with him."

"Did you apologise?"

"Of course I did."

Gamora nodded in a pointed manner. "Bad parents don't apologise. Good parents set an example by admitting to mistakes." She interrupted him before he could voice his opinion that good parents didn't make mistakes to begin with. "Everyone makes mistakes. Yours was a very small, easily fixed mistake. That baby loves you."

"Yeah, well, I love him."

Gamora helped his left arm stretch out and draped her arm over his body. Of all people, it really was her who understood, who _knew._ "It's okay to be scared of him, but it's unfair to yourself to let that _thing_ control you and your life."

"How do you do it?"

Gamora moved herself closer, her arms wrapping around his body. "I have you guys. My second chance at a loving family."

He'd never really figured how much she needed some love too. He let her carefully - _caringly_ \- unbend his limbs, even rubbing the aching muscles, cramped from being in the same position for so long and crawled out from under the bed with her, the both of them sitting opposite the other, Gamora cross-legged. She still had her hair in the braid he had done for her, that she had happily let him do, even though he knew he'd snagged out several strands of her magenta hair. He would never know 89P12, but he had Gamora who was as close to a sister as he was ever going to have. He did have a father, somewhere, an actual blood relative, not some cruel dickhole with an enormous sadistic streak. That father probably had daughters. Hell, 89P09 had  supposedly given birth to babies before Rocket and his siblings. Maybe she'd had daughters too. But they weren't with him and Gamora was. He stood on her thigh which was harder to stand on than Groot's had been, and carefully approached her, arms open. She put her arms around his back and didn't complain as he wrapped his arms around her neck. He couldn't remember the last time he'd initiated a hug. "I'm not going to snap."

"That's right. You don't ever have to worry about hurting one of us, because it's never going to happen."

Rocket pressed his head against her shoulder. He could hear footsteps and held on a little tighter. "I don't want to go out there just yet."

"Then you won't go out just yet."

Of course he couldn't stay in his cabin indefinitely. Quill inhabiting the Milano meant it was always going to be in need of repairs. And he had a son to raise. It was just a matter of getting himself to look the sapling in the eyes again. 


	11. Chapter 11

"May I ask you something?"

The only reason Rocket had allowed Drax into his cabin was because he'd brought food. So, Rocket kept telling himself. The actual truth was that the man was some kind of genius when it came to ear scratches and Rocket had wanted some. "Go ahead." he agreed, without opening his eyes from where he lay with his head on Drax's knee. From where he was, he could zip across to back under his bed in a matter of milliseconds if he wanted to.

"Why do you take such delight in those vile berries?"

"Huh?" Rocket had one of those 'vile berries' in his hand right now and he'd almost forgotten its very existence until Drax had mentioned it. "Oh, yeah." Wanting to eat it at some point, he sat up, regrettably losing his ear scratches. "Used to get 'em when I was good." Of course 'good' meant that he's obeyed the batshit crazy orders Gavaar gave out or stayed silent during a beating or surgery. But Drax wasn't to know that.

Drax nodded. "So these Cotaci berries. They're comforting to you?"

It had taken Rocket some time to learn the true name of the clear red fruits. Gavaar had called them grapes.

* * *

_The lock sprang open. The timer told 89P13 that he had unlocked it in four whole seconds less time than his prior attempts  and he turned around to his creator hopefully, wanting his reward. But Gax wasn't paying any attention to him. He was leaning against the wall, his side facing 89P13, looking at his pager, frowning. 89P13 knew why. His creator's mother wasn't ill any more, but she was still in hospital. The doctors, Gax had said, were still fixing her. 89P13 guessed that they were fixing her like Gax was fixing him. He should be patient, he knew, but he wanted his reward! He'd done something good, so he deserved something nice. He wasn't planning on waiting for what was rightfully his, so he leaned over the edge of the table Gax had placed him on and reached into his creator's cavernous pockets, only to lose his balance and fall in._

_He didn't know what to do. It was very hard to stand up in the pocket and he didn't know which way was up. The pocket was made of a thick material and he soon decided that, grape or no grape, this wasn't worth it._

_"89P13?" Gax was moving, the pocket swaying unhelpfully. "89P13?! Where have you gone? Come out from wherever you're hiding!"_

_"Gax!" 89P13 called, wanting out of the claustrophobic little space he now found himself in. "Gax, help!"_

_Gax put his hands on his hips. 89P13 could tell because through a tiny gap in the walls of the white fabric, he could see the bright yellow of Gax's wrists. "Where are you?"_

_"In pocket!" To make himself more obvious, 89P13 lunged against the side of the pocket, hearing a light ripping noise as he did._

_Gax held his pocket open and grabbed him by the arm. "What are you doing in there?"_

_"I finish!" 89P13 pointed in the direction of the lock he had completed. "See, Gax? I did good this time!"_

_"Yes, but why did you feel the need to dive headlong into my pocket?" Gax lifted him out by the arm and set him by the lock._

_"Want my reward. Look, four seconds, look." He pointed impatiently at the timer._

_"Would it have killed you to be patient?"_

_"Gax!" 89P13 crossed his arms over his chest and squared his tiny shoulders. "You're not listening!"_

_"I heard what you said. I can see what you did. You made it through the lock four seconds faster. I'm so pleased."_

_89P13 wasn't so sure. Gax was looking remarkably displeased if anything. "You no look pleased."_

_"No, I'm not. I'm trying to sort out hospice arrangements for my mother and you're causing havoc, playing hide and seek and trying to steal grapes."_

_"No stealing. No stealing if it should be yours."_

_"It_ is _stealing, 89P13, and I suggest you stop arguing about it."_

_He was in trouble. He could tell by the look in Gax's eyes. "Sorry," he said even though it was working less and less these days. "Didn't know it was stealing." Hoping it might lessen his punishment, he added; "Didn't like pocket."_

_He couldn't tell what Gax was thinking. His creator just watched him with emotionless hazel eyes. When 89P13 at last looked away, he said softly; "You do deserve a reward for completing the lock so quickly, but it's completely unacceptable to try and steal it from me."_

_89P13 shuffled his feet nervously. He didn't like that word - 'unacceptable'. It always meant pain. "No, no, no. Please. Didn't know."_

_"I realise that you didn't know. That's alright. It just means I need  to teach you a lesson."_

_89P13 didn't want to be taught a lesson. Every time that happened, it hurt. He jumped out of the way, sending the lock clattering to the floor. Gax's hands went under his arms and he yelped, trying to fight and flail. "No! Please, don't! I won't do it again, I won't steal! Gax!"_

_"Keep fighting and it will be worse." Gax warned and he started walking to the sink._

_89P13 cried out in fear as his creator pressed the red button. Hot, steaming water gushed from the faucet, bringing thick, heavy steam with it. He turned his hands into fists, he scrunched up his toes, knowing that his feet and his hands would be primary targets for the punishment Gax had planned for him. "Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it!"_

_Gax didn't listen. He didn't even seem to care that 89P13 was trying to protect his hands and feet. Instead, he tossed him gently into the burning water and began pulling on gloves as 89P13 screamed and howled as the water burned away the top layer of his skin. "After this," he said. "You can have your reward."_

* * *

Rocket threw the berry against the wall. It fell limply and rolled around pointlessly before coming to a stop, bleeding its pink juice in delicate circles. "I don't know. It didn't always matter if I did good, he'd still hurt me." Sometimes his hands still hurt, he could still feel the agony of the scalding Gavaar had forced him to endure. "You know my mother liked the Cotaci berries too," he blurted out. "She really was just like me even if she was some dumb animal."

"Does it truly matter if she was?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why?"

"Because if she was an animal, so am I."

"Then why can't she, too, be a person?"

Rocket didn't have an answer for that. He shrugged, looking at his hands again. "She couldn't talk." he remembered. "She couldn't do the things Pete's mom could or your wife did."

"She could protect and love her young. A mother is a mother, even if she is an animal."

"She bit my creator for me once."

"This was the one who hurt you?"

Rocket nodded, holding his right hand in his left. The right hand had taken the most damage the day he'd had the misfortune to fall into Gax Gavaar's pocket.

"Then she was a _fine_ mother," Drax said with such certainty and authority that Rocket couldn't help believing it. "I don't understand one thing."

"What's that?"

"Why do you call that cruel man your creator, when all he did was harm you?"

"What do you think? Gavaar made me."

"No. Your parents made you."

"He made me who I am today."

Drax shook his head and reached out carefully, stroking behind Rocket's ears. "He did not make you who you are today," he said. "Had he done that, you would be much different."

"I am like him."

"Was he loyal?

Rocket thought of the Aakon who had idly mentioned selling his so-called legacy so many times. "No."

"Was he loving?"

Rocket thought of the beatings, the surgeries, the pain. "No, he wasn't."

"Was he protective?"

Rocket thought back to the lack of pain relief during the surgeries. He shook his head silently.

"Did he care?"

"No, he didn't care." Rocket hadn't even had to think for that answer.

"Then how are you like him?"

"I'm none of those things!" Rocket protested, because he wasn't, only good people were. People like Groot. People like Drax and Gamora and Quill. Not things like him.

"Let me give you some examples."

"Oh, God." Rocket tried to put his hands over his ears, but Drax took his hands away from them, holding both in his enormous palms. He could easily crush them, but Gamora had been right and Drax would never ever hurt him. He trusted that. He knew that. He flicked his ears pointedly and closed his eyes as Drax got the message and resumed the ear scratches. 

"You charged at Ronan after we landed on Xandar."

"I lost my best fucking friend because of that son of a bitch!"

Drax didn't mention the attack Rocket had launched upon himself for believing that he was the guilty one of that crime. "I heard what you did for the civilians in Xandar."

"It was nothing personal." It hadn't been. It had just sorta _happened._

"Exactly." Drax stopped the ear scratches again and his face looked so serious that Rocket didn't try to indicate that he wanted him to continue with the touches. "If you're like anyone, you're very much like Groot."

Rocket couldn't believe what he had just heard. He stared at Drax. "No, I'm not!"

"He died for us and you would do the same."

Jerk. Fucking jerk, knowing shit like this. Rocket drew up his knees and hugged them tightly. "You have no idea how selfless Groot was. Even I didn't know how selfless he was."

"I know." And Drax reached out with an index finger, catching a clear teardrop on the digit as he had done for the baby Rocket still couldn't face. "You spent nearly all your life with Groot and only a small part with the scientist. I promise, you took on more of Groot's traits than you realise. Rocket, it isn't only cruel to _yourself_ to insist that Gavaar is the one whose involvement in your life was what matters most."

Rocket looked over at the bruised Cotaci berry. The second time he'd met Groot, he'd gotten a Cotaci berry out of it. And after that taste of bitterness, he'd gotten so much sweetness. Sweetness that hadn't completely faded even after Groot had died. He picked up the fruit again, though he had no intention of eating it now it had been hanging out on the floor. "You're right. You're damn right."

"Of course I'm right." Drax resumed the petting, the gently taught lesson over. "I am still a parent and parents are always right."

Which, Rocket guessed, went a hell of a way to explain why Gavaar had always been so damn _wrong._


	12. Chapter 12

"I am Groot!" _'Daddy, please let me in! I want to see you! Dad!'_

Rocket looked up from the cards and toward the door. His ears pricked forward at the sound of his son calling for him, but he still couldn't move. Footsteps came, then a voice and Groot's talking soon faded away. He put down his cards and reached for the small pile of units. "Full house."

"I'm starting to regret teaching you blackjack." Peter grumbled, but he started handed over the full deck, having had no idea that Rocket had learned to make his hands four or five games ago. So far Quill, the 'Blackjack King' had lost 200 units and was still none the wiser. He thought he was just having a bad time. If only he knew. "Sure you don't wanna see Groot?"

Rocket shook his head. To say no outright would be a lie that Quill would see straight through in seconds, thanks to his left ear.

"Rock?"

"Does head-shaking mean something other than 'no' in humie culture?"

"Come on, dude, there's no need for that word to be thrown around."

"If you weren't such a dumb son of a bitch, there really would be no fuckin' need." Despite Gamora's promise, there was a lingering doubt that refused to leave him alone. If she was wrong, it was so much better to find out now. A flash of Gavaar's mutilated form flashed in his eyes and he tensed, ready to flee if Peter did choose to attack him. No matter what, he never ever wanted to hurt him. Not badly. Not like he had done to his creator.  
But Peter didn't do anything. He just watched him out of calm blue eyes. Was he biding his time? Gavaar did that sometimes, made him wait so he knew just how badly he fucked up before attacking. Rocket dropped the cards, several landing face-up and showing black and red hearts. "What, you gone deaf now?"

"No, I heard you."

"So what are you waiting for?"

Peter pushed away the cards so there was a clear space between them. He still looked calm, but there was none of that rage simmering in his eyes like there had been with Gavaar. He genuinely did not look at all pissed. "What I'm waiting for," he said, "is for you to understand that I do not give a shit what you say. Call me a son of a bitch and I will not raise a hand to you."

"I do understand that." He didn't. Talk shit, get hit. That had been Gavaar's motto.

"You may want to start covering your ear when you lie in future."

Annoyed, Rocket slapped his hand over his left ear. "I fucking understand! Happy now?"

Peter exhaled softly. He held out his arm. "Come over here, would you?"

He didn't have to. It wasn't an order. And even though Rocket didn't understand why, he did know that Peter wasn't mad. He got to his feet and edged over. He didn't get hit at, nothing changed. He crossed his arms around his body and damn near fell over when Peter hooked his arm around his shoulders and crushed him against his chest in a hug. "Quill! At least warn me!" He was only hugging him back for anchorage. He was.

"You don't think that I cursed Yondu up and down when I was a kid, thinking he'd return me home if I got at him enough?"

"Thought you were scared of him as a kid?"

"Yeah, when I was little. But then I got bigger and stronger and he didn't seem so scary any more."

Rocket had never stopped being scared. Not even now. "What's this got to do with anything?"

"It means I understand what you're trying to do. You're not a mystery to me, Rock."

"I'm not trying to do anything!"

Peter was shaking. A look upwards told him that the jerk was laughing at him. He scowled and Peter tried his damnedest to shut up. "I know you were hurt a lot." He stopped being amused as he spoke those words. "And I'm sorry."

Rocket wondered just what Peter did know about it. Maybe he was better off ignorant, at least for now. He shrugged and let his arms fall to his sides. "So what about it? It happened, I got the hell out, the end." Only they all damn well knew that the story hadn't ended just there.

"I'm not going to hurt you if you cuss me out. I grew up with Ravagers, you think they thought twice about callin' me a motherfucker?"

"And you _let_ them?"

"Wasn't that, I just didn't give a damn. I knew it wasn't true, they knew it wasn't true. And I know for a fact my mom wasn't a bitch, so why get mad?" Peter let go, resting his hand on Rocket's shoulder. "There's nothing you can do that's going to make me beat you. That dick had no self control, but I do. He didn't love you and I do. Got that?"

It was kinda starting to sink in. Still, there was one more thing. One more test. "Pete, I've been hustling you all this time."

"I _knew_ it." Quill grinned triumphantly. Rocket had taken 200 units from him and he wasn't even fucking mad. "Okay, here's the deal. Teach me how you did it and I'll-"

"I'll Be There." Rocket interrupted, knowing full well what his reward would be for teaching Quill such an easy trick. "By The Jackson 5."

"Great choice. Okay, let's get up these cards..."

It didn't take long for Quill to learn, which surprised Rocket. Probably hadn't even taken him more than an hour to get the hang of the trick and, as promised, the Walkman was placed gently into his hands. No need for Rocket to go delving into his pockets. He sat by the humanoid's thigh, resting his back against it and held the headphones up so they both could hear the song. Peter had learned it so quick that Rocket figured he, too, deserved something nice.

_You and I must make a pact_

_We must bring salvation back_

_Where there is love_

_I'll be there..._

Rocket looked upward at the ceiling. He could hear Peter humming along, see him nodding his head. Rocket knew all the lyrics to this song, had engaged in something called 'karaoke' with Quill and Drax twice and he tried the next verse. _"I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do..."_

He didn't think Peter had noticed until several verses later; _"Whenever you need me, I'll be there. I'll be there to protect you, with an unselfish love I respect you."_

_Build my world of dreams around you_

_I'm so glad that I found you_

Rocket wondered if Peter realised that he loved every single person on the ship as much as he had loved his best friend. He looked up at the semi-Terran dumbass who refused to hurt him, who shared his music so freely, who was threatening Drax for the position of chief ear scratcher and wondered if it really was true that Quill actually loved him back.

_I'll be there with a love that's strong_

_I'll be your strength, I'll keep holding on_

Peter smoothed down the fur behind his right ear and didn't complain when Rocket pressed the button so the whole song replayed. "We need to get clones made so you can listen to music whenever you want, man."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Rocket focused on the nice touch, the melody of the five siblings. Five siblings. He had been one of five siblings once. "Was very quiet in the operating room." Unless you counted the sounds of his screams.

"If you need noise, just grab the Walkman. Don't even need to ask, if I see it's missing, I'll know you have it."

Rocket fixed his eyes on Quill's. "Don't have to ask?"

"Not if it's so quiet that it's getting to you. Don't just take it to be a jerk."

"Would I do that, Peter?"

"Let me think...Yes. Yes, you would do that."

Rocket closed his eyes and moved his head in an attempt to make Quill pet his head again. "Thanks."

"Any time."

_Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter,_

_Togetherness, well, that's all I'm after_

He could hear Groot's pot sliding around. While he was in here with Quill, his kid was sliding around, not knowing where his daddy was or what was going on. Rocket thought of the child he had once been, shortly after 89P09 had died. Had he cried for his mother before Gavaar had taken care of those memories of her? Had Groot cried for him? He had problems of his own and Groot couldn't possibly fix them, but their family could.

It was time to make amends with his son and be the father he never had.


	13. Chapter 13

 

When Rocket saw Groot for the first time in the past several _miserable_ days, he thought for a split second his son might just give him a taste of his own medicine by ignoring him. Those fears were soon quelled when the sapling saw him, his eyes lit up and he slid himself and his pot over to Rocket, nearly knocking him down in the process. "I am Groot!" _'Daddy, you came back!'_

"Yeah." Rocket rubbed the back of Groot's head, getting a warm feeling as the infant smiled gleefully at the gesture of affection. "I'm sorry I scared you like that. Dads shouldn't do things like that."

"I am Groot?" 'Why did it happen?'

Well, damn. What a question the kid had chosen to ask. Rocket was tempted to refuse to answer, but after what he'd put Groot through, the sapling more than deserved an answer. "Because I was scared of what kind of dad I might be."

"I am Groot?" _'Why?'_

"Because you're so important. And I... I had a..." What word to use to describe Gavaar? "When I was a baby, the one who raised me was a really, really nasty guy. I don't want to be like him with you." But that lunatic Aakon was not what was important. He had learned so much more from the one who had unknowingly given him a son to love. "But I won't be. 'Cause I learned how to love people from somebody else I knew when I was little more than a kid." And that had probably been the most valuable thing he'd ever learned.

"I am Groot?" _'Was it one of my other dads?'_

Rocket rubbed at his ear with his free hand. "I guess so. He ain't here anymore."

"I am Groot?" _'Why not, Daddy?'_

"He died." He should tell him, tell him everything. He could still remember the rage he'd felt against Gavaar, not just for the torture that had been piled upon him since birth, but for lying about 89P09. But he could also remember the sorrow at having never known that he had even had her at some point. Groot would never be unloved. It would be okay to tell him later.

'I am Groot?' _'Did he love me?'_

* * *

_"Did she love me, my mother? Did she?"_

_Gavaar didn't answer. Rocket knew very well how hard it was to speak whilst in agony, but he didn't show any mercy, clawing a handful of flesh from his creator's shoulder, the white coat shredded and bloody. "She was an animal."_

_"Did she fucking love me?"_

_"What difference does it make?"_

_Rocket scratched three lines into Gavaar's neck. "Answer the fuckin' question!"_

_"Yes!"_

_"Then why did you kill her?" Rocket looked into Gavaar's hazel eyes, searching desperately for some reason, an answer, anything to explain why he had lied for so long. "Why did you never tell me she existed? You said you made me."_

_"I_ did _make you."_

_"No. All you did was make my life hell. What you're feeling now is nothing."_

_"It was never anything personal."_

_"You_ made _it personal, Gavaar!" Rocket glared up at his creator. "You took away everything from me before I could even talk. You tortured me every day as long as I can remember!"_

_"The best way you learn is through pain. That's not my fault, 89P13. It's just the way you are."_

_Rocket looked up at Groot. The Flora Colossus had closed his eyes after Rocket had started clawing out Gavaar's entrails. He could ask this. "Did you ever feel anything while I was lying in a broken heap, bleeding and crying out for you to stop, to understand that I didn't mean to fuck up?"_

_"I've told you, I'm not a sadist. I didn't like to make you cry."_

_"That's not what I'm asking." Rocket folded his arms. "That's not even true, damn you. I could see that look in your eyes. You loved it, you sick bastard."_

_"I needed to get the message through." Gavaar lowered his chin to look into his eyes. "Everything was for your benefit. Every single little thing. It would have been easier to hijack your brain and make you mindless, but...I wanted you to have a mind of your own. I didn't want you to just be a thing, rather than a person. You know, when you were born, when I held you in my hands... I knew you could be invincible. I just wanted to ensure you could protect yourself."_

_"That's what I'm doing now."_

_"You were asking if I care about you. I do. Your wellbeing has always been so important to me."_

_"What am I worth to you?"_

_"A hundred thousand units."_

_Rocket squared his shoulders, reached for a knife. "You know," he said. "89P09 probably would have said that I was worth dyin' for. All you care about, all you ever cared about, was the money I could have made you."_

* * *

"Yes," Rocket answered slowly, because Groot loved everyone except for Lesa who had tortured him and Gax Gavaar who had hurt Rocket so badly. "Yeah, he did, but you were real little when he died." Technically not a lie.  Groot held up his arms, wanting a hug as he took in this information. He felt so small, so defenceless and Rocket wondered if maybe his mother had held him like he was holding his own son. His back lightly twinged and he straightened up, gasping as Groot seemed to slide out of his pot. "What the hell?"

"I am Groot!" _'Daddy, look!'_ Groot held out what had once been roots. In place were two, apparently healthy if spindly, legs. He waggled them excitedly. "I am Groot!" _'I have legs, Dad!'_

Rocket stared at them in amazement. "Holy shit!" That meant he could walk. Once legs were grown, Flora Colossi were good to go. Groot had told Rocket that it was because if limbs were lost, it saved them needing to waste time by learning to walk again. "Oh my god!" He had to tell the others. They had to see this. They deserved to. "What say we show your other daddies and your mommy? Think you could try walking for them?"

Groot nodded excitedly. "I am Groot!" _'Yeah!'_

Rocket edged the pot carefully underneath his bed where it would be safe and picked Groot up, holding him like he had seen humanoid mothers holding their young. Groot would be being raised by three humanoids, so he might as well get used to being held like one occasionally. He guessed that the others would be in the dining area and found them exactly there, the space filled with the distant music of Awesome Mix Vol.2 and the sound of raucous laughter. "Hey! Look what Groot has!"

Drax pointed in wonder. "He's out of his pot! He will be able to walk soon."

"He sure will and I want us all to see it. Quill, where's the recording device? I wanna relive this moment _forever."_

"You are such a dork." Peter smirked, but he found it, on top of the refrigerator of all places. "Least I know now that you won't take it apart when I'm not lookin'!"

"What is a dork..? Look, it doesn't matter. Start recording!" Gamora looked as gleeful as Drax did. "I can't believe he's ready! Are you sure he is?"

"Of course I'm sure. Okay, Groot, where do you wanna go?"

Groot thought for a moment, resting his chin on his fingers. Then he pointed at a spot not too far away from the table with his sunlamp. "I am Groot?" _'Can I have lunch afterwards?'_

"Of course you can." Rocket set him down, careful not to drop him and looked down at him. "When I say 'go', give walking a shot, okay?"

"I am Groot!" _'Okay, Dad!'_

"And if you can't do it right away, that's okay."

"I am Groot!" _'Thanks, Daddy!'_

Rocket stepped back and took a place by Gamora. "Go," he said, trying his best not to make it sound like an order.  Slowly, Groot got to his feet and Rocket could have sworn he heard Drax sniff as Groot took his very first, slightly unsteady, steps toward his family. Rocket looked down at his own feet, remembering walking for the first time on his legs after Gavaar had 'fixed' them. How hard it had been, how painful. Groot would never know a split second of pain, not by his doing, nor the Guardians. Goddamn, they all had issues, yet they were crouching beside him to look at Groot more closely as he mad his small journey and he knew he wasn't the only one with tears in his eyes as he watched the baby step delicately toward them, a grin of pride on his face as he did. They were all as proud as he was, they all loved him.  
Rocket held out his arms as Groot became closer and the sapling almost fell over as he approached. Tiny hands reached out and he brought the infant closer to hug him, almost forgetting to be gentle with his affection.

"I am Groot?" _'Daddy, why is everyone crying? Did I do something wrong?'_

Rocket shook his head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong, kid."

* * *

"I need to tell you something."

That always elicited such anticipation from Quill for some reason. Peter paused the music and looked at him with concern in his eyes. "Okay. What laws or ship rules did you break this time?"

"I didn't break any stupid rules!" Rocket wrapped his arms around his body. "It's about Groot." They were the sapling's parents. They had to be because in four years' time, Rocket would be too dead for the job. "He thinks we're all his parents." He gestured to Gamora. "He thinks you're his mom. And I'm not his only dad, far as he's concerned."

"Since when?"

"Um... I don't know. Not long." Three sets of eyes travelled towards his left ear and he realised it had betrayed him once again. "Since I first found out he wasn't his father."

"Huh. Okay."

That had been a much less panicked response than Rocket had expected. He looked at Gamora who was acting as though this wasn't the biggest news of her life and Drax who, rather than being sad as Rocket had thought, appeared to be really damn _happy._ "You're... You're all okay with this?"

"It's an honour I never thought I would again receive." Drax said simply.

"Anyways, we spent a couple days taking care of him. If he didn't think of us as parents after we raked shit through his soil, we'd be offended. Right, Gamora?"

"There's more than just taking care of him. You gotta give a fuck." If they didn't understand that part, if they all didn't know, he would be good as abandoning Groot.

"We love him, Rocket." Gamora nodded at the sapling whose new legs were wrapped around Rocket's waist as he slept. "You don't have to worry about that."

"And you don't need to try and raise him alone."

89P09 had been doing it and she had probably done real good. But she had been completely alone, no family like Rocket had. When she had died, Rocket had lost all of his protection and love. When he died, Groot would have protection and love no matter what. He rubbed Groot's back, shifting the baby slightly. "I gotta get him to bed." Turning away, he began the walk to his cabin.

Groot didn't wake up as he placed him on the bed. It occurred to Rocket that maybe he did need soil, but as far as he could tell, the kid didn't seem sick or unhappy, so he left it. He rested his elbows on the bed and put his chin into his palms as he watched his son sleep, wondering all kinds of things about 89P09 when something caught his eye. A corner of something old and scratched up jutted from underneath the pillow and he pulled it out to find the tablet that had told him all about the mother and siblings he'd lost. He turned it on, glaring coldly at the logo as it loomed into view and there were the files. His, Groot's, theirs, _hers._ He opened up her information and found the cache with visual and audio proof of her existence. He hesitated as he looked at the lines of wording that told him what he would see if he chose to watch them. He knew the risk of seeing his creator. He knew it too well. But he had to take the risk, he needed to see her, and he chose a link at random. He hoped he wouldn't see Gavaar again. He really, really did.

 At first he saw only a black screen. Then there she was, completely animalistic and yet so similar to him. She was pressing her nose against something small, covered in velvety fur which was slowly dragging itself along the floor of the cage.

 _"That's me and her."_ Rocket realised. He didn't know what she was trying to do, but she was nothing but patient, nudging at his legs with her nose. He watched as his younger self poked out a leg and slowly raised himself up. Took a few steps forward, wobbling like crazy. Fell down. Then, without any prompting from 89P09, he go back up again and took his first independent steps on legs that his adult self could still vaguely recall having. 89P09 followed at as far a distance as she could from within their confines. When he got tired of walking, she went over to him and licked behind his ears gently. She grabbed his head in her jaws and reared back on her haunches, her arms crossing to hold onto him. His younger self squirmed and wriggled, but all she did was roll onto her back, still hugging him for taking his first steps, the same as he had done for Groot. His younger self stopped moving. His hands held onto her sparse, brittle fur and he could hear a soft purring sound coming from 89P09. He didn't have to know her language to understand what she was thinking. He had thought it too while watching his own son walk by himself for the first time. He was like 89P09. But that wasn't such a bad thing.

"I am Groot?" _'Daddy?'_

Rocket looked over his shoulder, damn near jumping out of his skin as Groot's large brown eyes stared into his. "Thought you were asleep."

"I am Groot!" _'I woke up!'_

"No kidding!"

Groot pointed at the tablet. "I am Groot?" _'What is that, Dad?'_

Rocket glanced at the tablet. "It's something very old and very delicate, so don't play around with it."

"I am Groot." _'Okay.'_ Groot climbed onto Rocket's right thigh and then noticed the screen. "I am Groot!" _'Daddy, it's you!'_

Rocket rested the tablet on his left knee and hugged Groot, concluding that the infant was right. There was no denying the physical similarities between himself and his mother. "No, buddy. That lady is your grandma."

"I am Groot?" _'Where is she now?'_

Rocket reached again for the tablet, though he kept an arm around Groot. "She died when I was a little kid."

"I am Groot?" _'Is she with my daddy?'_

Rocket nodded. He liked that idea, even if he doubted that it was true. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah she is." Along with all four of Groot's aunts and uncles hopefully.

"I am Groot?" _'Was she a good mommy?'_

Rocket shut off the tablet and moved it away so he could focus on his son. "She was a great mommy. Didn't know how great until you were born."

"I am Groot?" _'Do I have any other grandmas?'_

"Um..." Gamora's and Quill's moms were both as dead as Rocket's. As far as Rocket was concerned, Drax's mom didn't deserve him. "No. You don't have any grandparents, sorry."

"I am Groot." _'It's okay. I have all of my daddies and my mommy!'_

Yeah," Rocket stood up, holding his son on his hip, and tickled Groot across his abdomen, making the infant squeal with laughter. "You've got us!"


End file.
